How fast times change! Just a few months back, you’d see Liverpool fans claiming that Mamadou Sakho is one of the best defenders out there but in such a short time, the cult hero of the Kop has been frozen out of the first-team. With the team enjoying life under Jürgen Klopp, no one has any time to feel sad or feel bad for the defender who used to be their heartthrob once.
It was more or less confirmed by Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp yesterday that Sakho does not belong to his first-team plans and therefore, we might see Liverpool parting ways with the man-mountain as early as in January. Sakho’s attitude during pre-season annoyed Klopp and he was sent home from their tour of the United States after he missed a flight, training session and team dinner.
A Snapchat rant by the French international, in which he claimed fans had been deceived about his absence from the first-team squad, made things even worse. Sakho has not featured for Liverpool since a 4-0 win over Everton in April having been banned for testing positive for a fat burner, although UEFA subsequently dropped the charge in the summer.
A defender of Sakho’s calibre won’t find it too hard to get suitors for himself in January. He has always been a quality player and did really well for Liverpool before and after the arrival of Klopp.
Technically and tactically, he is a sound footballer and is a natural leader of men which is why many Liverpool fans voiced for him to get the captaincy of the club in future. An inborn leader of men, Sakho made a record when he captained Paris Saint-Germain in his teenage on his debut for the French giants.
Liverpool have scored for fun not only this season but since the arrival of Jürgen Klopp. However, the Reds have rarely been able to convince the fans happy with their defending. For the first time this season, Liverpool have accumulated two back to back clean sheets. Joel Matip has been top-notch but Dejan Lovren has been shaky on occasions.
The best thing Sakho brings into the game is his confidence. He is a strong footballer but hardly needs to do the dirty work. His excellent reading of the game and ability to pick out passes makes him a brilliant all-round defender, even though he does look a bit awkward in the process of doing so.
He could have been a key member of the Liverpool squad in the system Klopp believes in. It’s a shame that it has not worked out. But, Klopp could have given one last chance to the French maverick. Still only 26, Sakho has a big future ahead of him and the decision to let him go might come back to haunt Klopp.
