After his incredible performance against Atalanta on Tuesday, the talk of the town has been Diogo Jota, and whether he should be starting ahead of Roberto Firmino in Liverpool’s front three.
Former Liverpool winger John Barnes was quick to defend the Brazilian forward on talkSPORT yesterday, stating that Firmino’s role has never been as a goalscorer and that his role is so much more important than that.
⚽️ “Mané & Salah scores so many because of how Firmino plays.”
❌ “Goal scoring isn’t what he’s in the team to do.”
👏 “He gives much more than that.”@OfficialBarnesy defends Firmino & insists he’s still key to #LFC 🔴 pic.twitter.com/cm4PYuoHCf
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) November 4, 2020
As you can see, Firmino is not the classic striker that most people compare him to – his role in Jurgen Klopp’s system has always been as an anchor for Sadio Mané and Mo Salah to go forward, create, and score goals for the team.
Does Firmino deserve more respect from fans?
Yes
No
Firmino has been one of the many reasons for the past few seasons as to why Mané and Salah have produced the numbers they have – his unselfishness and willingness to provide for his teammates in that No.9 role is what Jurgen Klopp has adored for more than 5 years now since joining the club, and his work rate and ethic during games is something I feel has been incredibly important to the club over the last few seasons.
Whether or not Jota starts again at the weekend against Manchester City, there is no doubt that Firmino is the first-choice upfront for Klopp, and it would be great if the pair were able to play together along with Mané and Salah in a more accommodating formation.
What do you think Liverpool fans, how important is Roberto Firmino to Jurgen Klopp’s side? Let us know down below…