There seems to finally have been a change in the media rhetoric that surrounds Bobby Firmino…
In previous seasons, the Brazilian would have been described as a ‘midfielder playing upfront,’ ‘without pace,’ who ‘can’t finish’ – with pundits baffled by Jurgen Klopp’s decision to field him ahead of Daniel Sturridge.
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But this term, our no.9 is getting the recognition he deserves, even when he isn’t scoring goals.
(In fairness, he has notched 19 of them in all, which is the primary reason the media is taking note…)
Jamie Carragher has spoken in length about the 26-year-old, who he regards as one of the best in the business.
“Firmino has been a revelation this season,” Carragher told MNF Extra. “I actually think he is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. He has always been Liverpool’s number one striker but what he has been adding is the goals. He can actually match up to the other strikers now goals-wise and still bring all the other stuff that he brings.
“Without a doubt, Firmino is helping Salah too. He is very clever with his passing and his movement drags people out of position as well. He comes towards the ball and that opens up the space for Salah to make that penetrating diagonal run in behind that space between the full-back and the centre-back. It is a great combination for Liverpool.
“That’s why, even without the goals, I don’t think Klopp would ever look to replace Firmino. If Harry Kane gets 40 goals and Firmino gets 20, he would still be one of – if not the first – name on the team sheet because of what he does off the ball. Klopp appreciates all of the extra things that Firmino brings to this Liverpool team that nobody else can.”
If there’s one person who doesn’t underrate Firmino, it’s his manager.
Klopp recently claimed that Bobby was second only to Harry Kane, and way ahead of Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku – which we obviously loved!
It’s crucial though that Firmino remains fit from now until the end of the season, as we’ve very little in terms of backup for the South American hotshot.