One of the most well-known players in the world of football, Mohamed Salah has become a household name in recent seasons. Starring in recent seasons for Liverpool, the Egyptian winger is arguably the world’s best player and is easily the best playmaker in the English Premier League at the current time.
However, while Salah may be the best player in Liverpool’s senior side, he is not the Reds’ most important player. That honour falls squarely on the shoulders of Senegalese winger Sadio Mané.
Sadio Mané is Liverpool’s Most Important Player
Mané and Salah are More Than Equals
Many will question the validity of the above statement. However, while the likes of Salah and Roberto Firmino continue to dominate the headlines, it is, in fact, Sadio Mané that should be talked about, both in the national and international media.
Playing in multiple positions for Liverpool, Sadio Mané presents options and feistiness at both ends of the pitch. Able to get back and play adequate defence, Mané presents the Reds with the closest challenge to Salah’s status in this squad. After all, both Mané and Salah do have the ability to play the exact same positions within the squad.
Even more important of a stat here is both players’ points per Appearance last season. Despite playing a full campaign within the Premier League, Mané and Salah finished the season with an average point’s haul of 1.97, meaning Liverpool averaged almost two points per game when each player was on the pitch last season.
But Salah’s the Better Scorer, Right?
Extremely similar in nature, Salah is, of course, the more proficient goalscorer, right? Well, yes, but also not exactly. During his English career, the Egyptian winger has averaged .65 goals per game or a goal about every game and a half. Mané, on the other hand, has only managed .4 goals per game, or a goal every two and a half games.
Advantage Salah. However, throughout their entire pro careers, the numbers change. In his entire career, Salah has managed to average .4 goals per game. On the other side, Mané has averaged .41 goals per game. While Salah definitely benefited from his 44 goal campaign last season, the numbers show that Sadio Mané is the more consistent player.
After all, if we exclude their goals and matches from last season and the opening matches of this season, the numbers change even more. Salah goes from his .4 career average down to a .31, or one goal every three and a quarter matches. Mané, on the other hand, remains at his extremely steady .4 goals per game.
This shows that while Mohamed Salah was a sensation last season, his numbers cannot last when looking at his career average. Once again this shows that while the Egyptian is, in fact, due for a major correction over the next season, Sadio Mané’s output should remain extremely consistent, making him an extremely important presence in the Liverpool attack.
But What About Assists?
Well, once again, Salah has been the better of the two players during their time with Liverpool. However, when you look at their entire career, the picture changes. While Mohamed Salah is once again dominating in the category during his time with the Reds, his entire career paints a different picture with the Egyptian registering .24 assists per game during his entire career.
On the other side of the battle, Sadio Mané once again paints the picture of consistency. Over his entire career, Mané has managed to record .25 assists per game, coming in slightly above Salah.
Like the goals scored category we talked about earlier, Mané remains the more consistent player. While Salah’s 2017/18 campaign was great and record-breaking in its own way, the Egyptian winger looks set for a correction over the rest of his tenure at Anfield.
Consistency Rules
In the world of sports, and football especially, consistency is key. While we have seen many players come and go over the years, turning in one or two good campaigns before falling away into obscurity, real star players remain consistent over their entire careers.
So while Mohamed Salah is the best player in Liverpool’s squad right now, he is still no replacement for the consistency provided by Sadio Mané. While Salah could eventually overtake the Senegalese winger for this role in the future, Mané, in the present, looks set to continue as the Reds’ most important asset for at least the upcoming campaign.
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