Adam Lallana: This new Liverpool signing is perfect for us

ADAM LALLANA reckons Sadio Mane can provide Liverpool’s x-factor this season after he helped tear Barcelona apart.
By Paul Brown                     

Mane, a summer £34m signing from Southampton, was on fire against the Spanish giants at Wembley on Saturday, making one and scoring his first for the club in a 4-0 friendly romp.

And Lallana claims Mane’s unpredictability could make him Liverpool’s most lethal weapon.

He said: “I knew straight away what he was about. I knew what he was going to bring to the team, regardless of what everyone has seen in pre-season.

“You saw all those different parts against Barcelona but I saw them all in his first couple of sessions. We have seen it from working with him what he can do.

“I was never worried about him settling. He could have had a goal in the friendly against AC Milan but it didn’t matter. I could see what he was going to bring to this team.

“He is different to what we have got. He is unpredictable. He can go down the outside, he can come inside, he has got a goal in his locker like he produced against Barcelona.

“He is different to what we have got. He is unpredictable”

Adam Lallana

“He’s a very good addition to the squad, believe me. I think we have got loads of different players who can play loads of different positions.
“The manager has got decisions to make but it is great for the squad, to have that competition for places.”
Jurgen Klopp’s high-pressing style was in evidence against Lionel Messi and co, who are well behind Liverpool in their preparation as La Liga does not start until August 20.
Former Red Javier Mascherano scored an own goal before Divock Origi and Marko Grujic completed the scoring in front of 89,845, just 29 off the all-time record at Wembley.
Lallana admits Liverpool won’t be getting carried away due to the gulf in fitness between the sides.
But he believes things are looking good now Klopp has had his first pre-season with the team to bed in his ideas.
The England midfielder said: “It was tiring at times but it was enjoyable. Hard work is enjoyable. The manager has made it clear that he doesn’t want us to be passive – ever.

STAR MAN: Mane impressed against Barca

“So it was nice to get our reward and take the chances that came our way. We haven’t been as prolific as we would have liked, so that was really enjoyable.

“But we won’t be getting carried away. It’s pre-season. If we had lost 3-0, we wouldn’t have got carried away so we won’t getting ahead of ourselves because we have won 4-0.”

Mane was rested for yesterday’s 4-0 defeat to Mainz.

But midfielder Georgino Wijnaldum has urged his team-mates to repeat their Barca display in their Premier League opener at Arsenal on Sunday.

He said: “These kind of games give you a lot of confidence of course because you win against a big opponent, but we’ve got to make sure we are going to do this against Arsenal.

“We tried to put high pressing and things like that. We have to make sure we do that also against Arsenal.”