Jurgen Klopp says twenty German coaches watched Liverpool play Fulham – and they had lots to say about Roberto Firmino afterwards.
Roberto Firmino has come under some scrutiny after quite a slow start to the season at Liverpool.
A more defensive approach, and a slight change in formation, appear to have thrown the Brazilian slightly off his game – Frimino has been through two stretches of over five games without a goal or assist already this season.
Jurgen Klopp has favoured more of a 4-2-3-1 this season with Mohamed Salah operating in a more traditional #9 role, pushing Firmino back into attacking midfield. And while that may have resulted in less direct contributions from Firmino, Klopp is adamant that it’s about ‘how you see it’ in regards to his forward.
The Liverpool boss claims that he had twenty German coaches at the recent home game against Fulham and he revealed what they had to say after the game about Firmino.
“In the last home game against Fulham, I had 20 German coaches in the stadium,” said Klopp, according to Liverpool’s official website. “Most of them were friends of mine, and I know them all.
“They watched the game. I’m not sure what the critics were saying about Bobby Firmino after the game, but when I saw the coaches later and we had drinks together, they were like ‘Bobby Firmino… what a player!’
“It’s because of the small things he is doing, he is working hard, he is here, he is there, he has five goals now and he opens 5,000 gaps for everybody. It’s about how you see it.”
On the face of it, Firmino had a relatively quiet game against Fulham – although that does backup the point Klopp’s making.
The Brazilian may not be scoring goals at the rate he was last year but he’s certainly an integral part of a side that just keeps winning. And if it means sacrificing his goal tally to keep the team that way, you’ve got to believe that Klopp, and Firmino, are happy to do so.
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