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Wright: Firmino is so important to this Liverpool team


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There's no denying threat defensive work and link up play that firmino adds is a great asset and major part of our game. 

 

But there's also no denying he's a centre forward that doesn't score near enough goals either. 

 

He hasn't scored in anfield this season, that's just crazy. Throw in Harry Kane to his position and each of our forwards would have 20 goals a season. No doubt about it. 

 

 

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1 hour ago, chrisbonnie said:

There's no denying threat defensive work and link up play that firmino adds is a great asset and major part of our game. 

 

But there's also no denying he's a centre forward that doesn't score near enough goals either. 

 

He hasn't scored in anfield this season, that's just crazy. Throw in Harry Kane to his position and each of our forwards would have 20 goals a season. No doubt about it. 

 

 

I’d like him to score more, but throw in Kane and you’d lose a lot of how our team is set up. Sure it could work in a different way but if you want the best out of Mane and Salah then you need a Firmino

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1 hour ago, chrisbonnie said:

There's no denying threat defensive work and link up play that firmino adds is a great asset and major part of our game. 

 

But there's also no denying he's a centre forward that doesn't score near enough goals either. 

 

He hasn't scored in anfield this season, that's just crazy. Throw in Harry Kane to his position and each of our forwards would have 20 goals a season. No doubt about it. 

 

 

Harry Kane plays in a team that is built around Harry Kane and has won nothing for decades. We have three trophies in a year with three forwards who chip in with goals regularly. A lot of them due to Firmino's unselfish play.

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1 hour ago, dockers_strike said:

What did they say about crouchie when he went 19 games without scoring?

 

That we needed to sign Fernando Torres. Crouch probably isn't the best example because he wasn't good enough then & def. not good enough at the level we're at now. Owen may be better; everyone knew he was quality but it wasn't unusual for him to go on close to 10 game stretches without a goal, even when he was fit.

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He's an outstanding player and his ability as a foil to Mane and Salah is undoubted. His defensive work is brilliant and his ability to make space is world class.

 

However. None of that excuses the countless times he misses guilt edge chances in front of goal - he's been like that since he first arrived. There's no excuse for it. The fact that he's doing defensive work or foil play for 80% of the game has absolutely zero bearing on his ability to score from 10 yards out when the opportunity presents itself.

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8 hours ago, chrisbonnie said:

There's no denying threat defensive work and link up play that firmino adds is a great asset and major part of our game. 

 

But there's also no denying he's a centre forward that doesn't score near enough goals either. 

 

He hasn't scored in anfield this season, that's just crazy. Throw in Harry Kane to his position and each of our forwards would have 20 goals a season. No doubt about it. 

 

 

No, there's definitely a doubt about it. 

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If you ignore the number on his shirt and look at how he actually plays he's not really a centre forward anyway. Mane and Salah play further up the pitch than he does.

 

At times it looks more like we play a diamond 4-4-2 with really wide strikers and Bobby as the most hard pressing, non-play-making number ten there's ever been. Fits in with the sort of player he was at Hoffenheim too - he was never played as a striker there.

 

Are there any players out there that are can lead a press for 90 minutes like he does, can swap between playing on the shoulder and between the lines like he does, can make space in tight areas like he does, *and* can offer more of a goal threat? Suarez at his peak maybe, but even he wouldn't have got through the defensive work Bobby does.

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2 hours ago, FrenchEyeGlass said:

He's an outstanding player and his ability as a foil to Mane and Salah is undoubted. His defensive work is brilliant and his ability to make space is world class.

 

However. None of that excuses the countless times he misses guilt edge chances in front of goal - he's been like that since he first arrived. There's no excuse for it. The fact that he's doing defensive work or foil play for 80% of the game has absolutely zero bearing on his ability to score from 10 yards out when the opportunity presents itself.

That is definitely true. His finishing this season has been really bad. Bottom of the Premier League type bad. And it's tough to excuse that. 

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From the esteemed penwoman herself, Mel Reddy:

 

During an in-depth discussion with a staffer from Liverpool’s analysis team earlier this year, an enquiry was put forward: who counts as the club's most critical player on the pitch?

The expected answer was Virgil van Dijk, or alternatively, Alisson. Instead, without hesitation, ‘Roberto Firmino’ was the response.

 

“He is the system.”

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55 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

From the esteemed penwoman herself, Mel Reddy:

 

During an in-depth discussion with a staffer from Liverpool’s analysis team earlier this year, an enquiry was put forward: who counts as the club's most critical player on the pitch?

The expected answer was Virgil van Dijk, or alternatively, Alisson. Instead, without hesitation, ‘Roberto Firmino’ was the response.

 

“He is the system.”

He truly is.

 

The concept that there is only one Firmino in the world Is a fallacy though. If not a ready-made backup, there's at least another player in the world we can buy with the appropriate qualities to develop him into a Firmino - hell, even Bobby wasn't who he was now when he first arrived.

 

This is what perplexes me even more about 1) not having a recognized back up for him and 2) our only back up option (Origi) being absolutely shite at doing what Bobby does.

 

If he's so important why haven't we invested more in a similar kind of player?

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15 minutes ago, FrenchEyeGlass said:

He truly is.

 

The concept that there is only one Firmino in the world Is a fallacy though. If not a ready-made backup, there's at least another player in the world we can buy with the appropriate qualities to develop him into a Firmino - hell, even Bobby wasn't who he was now when he first arrived.

 

This is what perplexes me even more about 1) not having a recognized back up for him and 2) our only back up option (Origi) being absolutely shite at doing what Bobby does.

 

If he's so important why haven't we invested more in a similar kind of player?

There are great players out there who do similar things to Firmino and play the 9 and a half position like Klopp calls it. Griezmann, Dybala, and Benzema are examples but these players aren't available or are older than who we generally target. Joao Felix I thought would have been a similar player too but then he had one great season and all of a sudden he's a 120m player. Needless to say, it's not easy. 

 

I think the idea is that eventually Minamino is supposed to be that kind of player as a backup but he'll do well to ever be as good as Firmino. 

 

 

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https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/complete-firmino-is-changing-the-game-for-liverpool-and-all/1ae0xyq78yliq1difp0abcpbv1

 

 

I see the talent and the application and the intelligence, sure I do, but I just think we've been incredibly fortunate with a lack of injuries to Salah and Mane.  

 

I actually like Dele Alli in that position for us. He can do the Firmino job, I think, and has a few years ahead of him, and also can score goals.  

 

Firmino, at 29, you wonder what the next 12 months might bring in terms of what he wants to do while his stock is high.  He hasn't had a go in Spain yet, which is rare for a top Brazilian player these days. 

 

Such a shame Klopp had the poor experience with Immobile, would have been great to see him and Firmino share the 9 shirt and drive each other on for a couple of years. 

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2 hours ago, 3 Stacks said:

There are great players out there who do similar things to Firmino and play the 9 and a half position like Klopp calls it. Griezmann, Dybala, and Benzema are examples but these players aren't available or are older than who we generally target. Joao Felix I thought would have been a similar player too but then he had one great season and all of a sudden he's a 120m player. Needless to say, it's not easy. 

 

I think the idea is that eventually Minamino is supposed to be that kind of player as a backup but he'll do well to ever be as good as Firmino. 

 

 

 

I guess it's not meant to be easy (and we should stop using that as an exuse), and in either case, if we aren't willing to spend notable money (Griezmann, Dybala and Benzema are actually three players I think we could attract fairly easily) then we have to be up to the challenge of making it even harder for ourselves. I'm fine for us to have an alternative plan to strengthen...as long as we actually do have oneWhat's not acceptable is not having one at all.

 

This is an issue squad wide to be honest, not just Firmino. I don't like us not investing in the squad heavily (or even moderately), but then we need to find some more Andy Robertsons. Last year we decided not to do that and people on this site talked about us trusting Origi and Shaqiri and Lallana et al - which turned out to be the bollocks it sounded like. This year its very obvious that those players have run their course, and I think it's unacceptable for us to not buy replacements...even if they are $10m 'projects'.

 

We shouldn't have to start the season being ok forfeiting two of our four competitions because we only have one Firmino, Salah, etc. We may only have one of each of those beauties, but the drop down in level should not be Elliot, Jones and Brewster - it's absurd that that is the reality we seem to be heading towards.

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Guest Alex_K

Dele Alli is a good shout. He's on a long contract there though - shame. No idea why any of those Spurs players signed long contracts really.

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4 hours ago, FrenchEyeGlass said:

He truly is.

 

The concept that there is only one Firmino in the world Is a fallacy though. If not a ready-made backup, there's at least another player in the world we can buy with the appropriate qualities to develop him into a Firmino - hell, even Bobby wasn't who he was now when he first arrived.

 

This is what perplexes me even more about 1) not having a recognized back up for him and 2) our only back up option (Origi) being absolutely shite at doing what Bobby does.

 

If he's so important why haven't we invested more in a similar kind of player?


Like mentioned by others we seem to play Minamino in a very similar role. And he can do quite a bit of the same, excellent pressing and not least very clever off the ball movement.

 

He hasnt looked anywhere near Bobby’s level yet, but the closest we get to doing a similar job.

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9 hours ago, Joey8FrogsLegs said:


Dele Alli is brilliant at his best, but It’s been a while since he was performing well over a period of time.

Yeah he’s had a few injuries. Not sure if they’ve irretrievably ruined him or whether it’s the mad house that is Spurs football club. 

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