The casual observer would think that Sadio Mane's head is elsewhere judging by his attitude over the past weekend, so the big question is whether outside influences are praying on him ?

Sadio Mane was apparently poor in training last week and capped that by turning up late for a team meeting, leading many Saints fans to ponder the question whether his head is being turned by newspaper headlines or worse still by being tapped up by one or more clubs mentioned in the press.

One thing should be nipped in the bud here and that is this is a player wanting away because the club had changed its ambitions as was the excuse used by those in the exodus of the summer of 2014. Mane was signed then and so for him the club's strategy and ambition is no different than it was 18 months ago.

Indeed the fact that Mane is showing signs of temperament perhaps is proof that back in the summer of 2014, lack of ambition as a reason for leaving is not anything other than an excuse to ease the conscience of the player leaving.

Players leave football clubs for two things, money and for a bigger club and history shows that money is the main reason, so why should Sadio Mane be any different when Manchester United are linked with him, it pains me to say it but United can offer far more than a club the size of Saints, anyone who thinks that most modern players would prefer to stay at St Mary's and earn a third of what they could do at Old Trafford is living in cloud cuckoo land in the modern game.

Football now though is very underhand and it seems after his no show at training that Sadio Mane thinks that by having a poor attitude it will encourage Saints to let him go sooner than later.

Mane left Red Bull Salzburg under a cloud, any Saints fan who attended the friendly there last summer will tell you that, Mane was booed everytime he touched the ball by the whole ground, the Salzburg supporters clearly felt that he had showed them no loyalty.

Perhaps Mane will feel that he owes no loyalty towards Saints, after all it was only a year ago that he was being screamed at by Saints supporters and social media was full of those claiming that he was the worst signing since Ali Dia after his performance at Sheffield United in the Capital One Cup (Given the panic being spread on social media at the moment it seems some have learnt nothing from last season)

We will probably never know whether Mane missing the team meeting on Saturday was part of an orchestrated campaign aimed at getting him a move or whether it was nothing more than just forgetfulness.

Im a little cynical and would suggest that a year ago when he had yet to display his best form, that his memory would have been a little better, Ronald Koeman was right to bench him, we need the discipline in a squad as without that there is no team spirit.

Photo: Action Images

perazi added 10:38 - Jan 4 Worth remembering Nick, Mane was late to St Marys for the pre-game lunch for a game last season, and was benched until the second half that day, he might just be a laid back, slightly disorganised person. I've got no doubt that at the very least his agent is or will be actively fielding interest from Clubs wanting to sign SM next Summer. In the mean time I see no shortage of effort or skill on his part - the Arsenal Game and the first half of the West Ham game show that.

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SanMarco added 10:46 - Jan 4 If Manure are interested in Mane then he is just a name on a list headed "Possible back-up bench warmers". They don't need to tap him up as the media and his agent will do all the necessary. If we let him go after this then every player who fancies a move will just set his alarm clock back a couple of hours. Excellent paragraph on 'ambition'. It gets to the crux of the matter. These players don't care one way or the other about Saints' 'ambition' once they smell a far bigger pay check. It is great to have ambition but as in all other areas of life it has to be guided by realism. Cortese would have sent us the way of Leeds and Pompey. Even so we do need to eliminate the want-away culture that developed during the immediate post-Cortese period. It doesn't matter whose fault it was at the time - we are living with the consequences of it now and the club needs to do something - and part of that something has to be investment in players/wages...

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IanRC added 10:49 - Jan 4 Don't agree with this. Why should supporters and club suffer too. There are other ways of disciplining players than dropping them. Even despite his drop in form he for me is head and shoulders our best player. In fact RK appears to have been playing him deeper in recent weeks,a strange decision to me, but I have been impressed by his commitment and defensive work.
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RogerToye added 10:58 - Jan 4 Mane's agent said he is aiming for the very top and saints is a stepping stone (5 year contract??) he came to us bit clueless but with raw talent. developing well and now showing his class where was he before that? Osvaldo came with brilliance but was so ill tempered, but a class player seems like class players come with attitude. All teams have the same problem. Discipline is a must no exception's. Our season ended at the first step of Europe and you know what was going on there, it seems now about mid table with the attitude of some of our players. We can string results together with the full team but european players will find this league tough and won't always fire like we expect.

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lockseaf77 added 11:15 - Jan 4 If a player has the wrong attitude, then they have no class anyway
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SaintNick added 12:02 - Jan 4 IanRC, yes you are right there are other ways to discipline a player, you can fine them, but money means little to them. Dropping Mane was not so much about punishing Mane but showing the rest of the squad that slackness will not be tolerated, you cannot keep a squad motivated if you allow certain players to do what they like
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IWOZTHERE added 12:32 - Jan 4 If he was trying to make a point he shouldn't have even been on the bench.
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SaintBrock added 13:29 - Jan 4 Mane is massively over-rated and will be exposed in a big club when competing with better talents. Class players are class players every week not once in every 5 or 10 games.
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perazi added 19:30 - Jan 4 SaintBrock's comment above re Mane being "massively overrated" ranks up there with the ideas 12 months ago that Pochettino would be sacked at Spurs by Xmas 14. I understand the frustration/anger at the apparent situation with Mane, but don't let it cloud your judgement, he's a special player and most games he's played he has been great for Saints
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sholingred added 21:51 - Jan 4 if sterling is worth 50 million ,mane must be worth more than ,tell the clubs media etc that's the price put up or shut up end of,once again weak leadership and they all know it.This transfer policy is killing us all the agents of our players know we will sell and the clubs know it.Its getting behond a joke now,Everton stayed strong with Baines and Stones never caved in like the yes man chairman we have now.

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