John Obi Mikel Explains How Sadio Mane Was Key to Jurgen Klopp’s Gegenpressing Tactics at Liverpool

Sadio Mane arrived as a boy at Liverpool and left as a man. While many thought the Reds were overpaying, Jurgen Klopp and the scouting department had full trust in the abilities of the Senegalese international. In the end, the move worked for everyone. Chelsea legend John Obi-Mikel has also explained how the forward was crucial to the Gegenpressing tactics of the German coach.

The 31-year-old also became one favorite of Liverpool fans, who immediately started loving him in a heartbeat. There is no doubt that the Al Nassr forward will be always remembered by the Reds for all the good reasons.

Sadio Mane always knew what it took for him to be successful at Liverpool

Gegenpressing is a tactic where a team in a group immediately tries to win the ball after losing it. It sounds like a quite straightforward task. However, on the field, it was one of the hardest tactics to master. Liverpool started mastering after Jurgen Klopp took over as the manager. Chelsea legend John Obi-Mikel feels that Sadio Mane deserves the credit for it. Speaking on the Obi One podcast, he said, “The trigger of the pass started from Mane, who goes then you have Firmino as well pressing, and then Mo pressing, and then Henderson. They mastered the art of pressing, and they got it right. This is why every time, City found it difficult playing against them. So yeah, Mane was the guy, absolutely beast of a player.”

Sadio Mane certainly made his name after making a move to the Reds. In his six years at the club, he scored 120 goals and provided 38 assists in 269 appearances for Liverpool. In 2022, the Senegalese international also finished second behind winner Karim Benzema in the Ballon d’Or rankings. The Senegalese international also won six trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League titles for the Premier League giants.

There is no doubt that the 31-year-old achieved his status as a Liverpool legend. As far as his relationship with Jurgen Klopp is concerned, it worked out well for both parties.

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Jurgen Klopp and Mane were the perfect match

Sadio Mane was of full praise for his Liverpool manager in a documentary named Made in Senegal, which was released in 2020. Speaking about the German, he revealed that Jurgen Klopp was there for him and the other players whenever they needed him. The Senegalese international also admitted that he was ready to even go to war for him.

In the same documentary, his former Reds manager also spoke highly of him. Jurgen Klopp revealed he had doubts about Mane as he looked like a rapper when he first saw him. However, the German coach added his skills on the field and cleared all his doubts.

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It will be certainly difficult for the new Liverpool stars to replicate the achievements of Sadio Mane. What are your thoughts on John Obi-Mikel’s comments on the Senegalese forward? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.