The slap on Sane epitomizes Mane's poor performance in his debut season at Bayern. However, Bayern's management should bear the greatest responsibility for the fighting in the dressing room.
He is not a Levan stand-in
After Bayern sacked Nagelsmann, Mateus and Schweinsteiger criticized Bayern's management for making the club lose their creed, and the accident between Mane and Sane once again proved this.
From the start, Mane was wrong to join Bayern, he did not fit Bayern's team-building strategy. Famous journalist Ursfeld analyzed, "Bayern's management's job is to build the squad, Bayern wants to sign Haaland, but Salihamidzic admitted that Bayern could not afford Haaland's salary, and Haaland finally chose Manchester City." ”
"The inability to sign Haaland has Bayern turning to Mane, believing he can take Lewandowski's place. However, the deal fell through, with a real centre-forward missing and Bayern leaving a gap in the forward line. ”
At the same time, Nagelsmann should also take some responsibility, he admires Mane, who believes that he has a combination of speed, agility and flexibility, and can shoot with both feet. So Nagelsmann persuaded the board to sign in Mane, however it was a bad decision.
In September 2022, legendary midfielder Harman questioned the transfer, saying: "Mane is not a good fit for Bayern and he is at his best when he plays on the left wing. I don't think Mane was too happy with Nagelsmann's tactics. Now, no one is talking about Mane, who seems to be isolated and barely involved in the game. ”
A month later, Mane confirmed this, "My favorite location? I always play on the left wing, but if the team asks me to play as a centre or a right winger, I will agree. ”
Mane got off to a great start at Bayern, scoring five goals in his first six games. However, he soon lost his shooting boots, which made him increasingly questionable. Mane was substituted in the 70th minute against Barca, and Nagelsmann said: "I hope he works harder, he should be more confident, actively put pressure on the opponent and find a rapport with his teammates as soon as possible." ”
Summer window or sold off
Seven months later, Mane has become his own "shadow", scoring only a handful of goals, but instead he has become Bayern's "troublemaker".
Bild revealed that discord with the dressing room was one of the reasons for Nagelsmann's departure, and in the dressing room, Mane and Sane have been blaming Nagelsmann. Dissatisfied with remaining on the bench after the second leg of the Champions League last-16 match against Paris, Mane was bitterly wrangling with the manager.
After taking over, Tuchel believes Mane just needs more time to adapt to the new environment and says he has never doubted Mane's quality. However, Tuchel soon ran into trouble, with the DFB-Pokal knockout and the Champions League almost out.
In the first leg against Manchester City, Mane came off the bench in the final 20 minutes and he did not play any outstanding performances. Not only that, but he also clashed with Sane, who slapped Sane in the dressing room because of the latter's verbal abuse.
Arguing with the manager, slapping teammates and a fiery temper threaten to ruin his Bayern career. Bayern have decided to suspend Mane internally, with Sky Sports revealing that Bayern are considering selling Mane after the end of the season.
The famous journalist Yusfeld analyzed: "The problem is that Mane is not suitable for Bayern, after beating Sane, he has no future at the club. If Bayern get the right offer in the summer window, then they will sell Mane. ”
Can Bayern save their career?
Mane's behaviour is truly unforgivable and he still has a long way to go to regain the trust of his teammates. However, it is not fair to put all the blame on Mane. After selling Lewandowski to Barca, Bayern need a centre-forward like Kane and Haaland rather than Mane, who prefers to play on the wing.
Kahn pointed out, "Mane is still looking for the best. He is a player who needs encouragement. At Bayern, the competition for starting spots is fierce, something Mane is not used to. In Liverpool, everything is completely different from here. ”
Mane's contract with Bayern runs until 2025. If Tuchel remains patient, then Mane's situation at Bayern will change. However, Mane will first have to find peak form to help Bayern win the Bundesliga title or defeat Manchester City in the Champions League. Only then can Mane save his Bayern career.
Otherwise, Mane's debut season at Bayern would have ended in failure. For Mane, he faces one of the biggest challenges of his career.