Liverpool legend John Barnes believes Roberto Firmino is two players in one and even more important than Mohamed Salah for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Liverpool’s performances last season rightfully drew praises for several members of their first team, but especially their front three.
Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and Mohamed Salah were sensational from start to finish, scoring 91 goals between them as Liverpool secured fourth place and reached the Champions League final.
Salah got 44 of those goals, naturally leading to him taking the majority of the plaudits, but Liverpool legend John Barnes believes it’s Firmino who makes everything tick.
“Firmino, for me, is the biggest part of [the attack],” Barnes told the Evening Standard.
“Everybody’s talking about Salah and of course Salah has been fantastic in terms of goals he’s scored, but if Liverpool had a Harry Kane, a Robert Lewandowski, or a typical number nine, I don’t think Salah would score those goals.
“Not only does Firmino vacate the middle for Mane and Salah to make diagonal runs to score the goals, he also plays them in – he doesn’t just move out of that position for other people to play them in.”
The Brazilian has certainly seen his stock rise over the last year, with his 27 goals being something of an afterthought. Firmino’s work rate and sacrifices for the team are more important than the 26-year-old’s goals.
Firmino is arguably the best ‘false nine’ in football right now, and the way he made up for Liverpool playing without a creative midfielder last season was undoubtedly an enormous part of their success.
The only problem Liverpool have with him is that there is no like-for-like replacement at the club, or indeed anywhere, leaving them a little dependent on him. It looks at the moment like Daniel Sturridge will be their backup striker but he plays a very different role – finding a way to make the team function without Firmino will likely be key to Liverpool’s season.
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