THERE were moments when Sadio Mane had everyone at Saints pulling their hair out in frustration and despair.

But there were moments of pure genius that, at times, meant he was virtually unplayable.

His pace, unpredictability and twists and turns sent terror through opposition.

Mane could be, on his day, a game changer, the way he tore through Manchester City and new employers Liverpool pay testament to that.

But sometimes on the pitch - sometimes off it - Mane demonstrated a certain lack of direction and discipline.

At 24 years old he is still yet to be the complete package. His rawness meant he was often inconsistent at Saints.

It was guaranteed on at least one occasions per performance that Mane would have Ronald Koeman flapping in his technical area at the attacker's failure to pick the right pass or try and take on one too many men.

Yet that was part of his gift to Saints, a glorious unpredictability- which could be viewed as immaturity - that would show itself either through brilliance or complete failure.

He will be missed at Saints, there's no two ways about that.

But for a player that failed to score in four months last season, before recovering to finish the season strongly with eight goals in as many games, and was at the centre of two bouts of indiscipline, the huge £34m initial transfer fee is worth it for Saints.

It's a mountain of cash that should be reinvested for the new manager to go out and spend.

There were moments when Mane was definitely worth £34m, but times he was worth far, far less.

But that's Liverpool's lookout now. Time will tell how he will settle in on Merseyside.

YouTube clips that Liverpool fans will be watching right now, will show Mane zipping past opposition at frighting speed.

But Saints fans who have been there game after game will know well enough that those moments of delight will be thrown in with many moments of despair. 

It was a rollercoaster ride with Mane, and he will be missed, but that huge fee will more than offset his exit.

There is now plenty of dosh for another new signing to join £10m signing Nathan Redmond.

Mane was brought in from Red Bull Salzburg in 2014 because Saints couldn't get their first target in Redmond.

He was soon berated for erratic performances, but eventually came good.

When Saints were disappointingly knocked out of the Capital One Cup against Sheffield United, Mane was at rock bottom. 

His poor form continued at the Blades  and the travelling Saints fans let him know how they felt.

That was a prime moment when Mane had you screaming "no more, no more".

Just a matter of months after that incident, Mane was dropped for showing up more than half-an-hour to a pre-match meal before a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at St Mary's.

He did the same thing before the 1-0 defeat at Norwich in January, failing to turn up on time for a team meeting before the miserable Carrow Road defeat.

They weren't occasions where Mane covered himself in glory, but then came times when everything he touched turned to gold.

The fastest Premier League hat-trick in history in 2 minutes 56 seconds in the 6-1 win over Aston Villa, is one moment that will never be forgotten.

He was also instrumental in the 3-1 dismantling of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last season, as well as a superb hat-trick in the 4-2 win over Manchester City.

Those are the occasions when Mane was important and had everyone screaming for more.

Perhaps the perfect encapsulation of this Mane's time at St Mary's was in the 3-2 comeback win over his new club Liverpool.

He toiled and toiled in an attempt to bring to an end a goal drought that had rumbled on for four months, since the 6-1 defeat to the Reds in the Capital One Cup quarter-final.

When Saints won a penalty through Graziano Pelle, Mane stepped up to bury any memory of his barren streak.

He missed the spot kick, but that was Mane. 

And to perfectly sum him up in just a few minutes - from a reason to face-palm to a reason to punch the air - Mane was then demonstrating why he is perhaps worth a record fee.

Little more than 15 minutes after wasting a penalty kick, Mane burst through and rifled brilliantly home.

And THEN to make it even better he nets a last-gasp winner.

From nothing to everything in one half of football. That's Mane.

Liverpool will soon understand what it's like to have him in their ranks. YouTube videos won't do it justice.