Topic: Roberto Firmino

[LallanaInPyjamas]

It can be argued, of course, that the front three would be even better with a proper striker but I'd personally be wary of disrupting the balance we've found. We have a good thing going up front, we just need to fine tune it.

Well Klopp doesn't appear to be too wary given that he's already talking about dropping Coutinho deeper into midfield. So he obviously doesn't consider the attack as perfect as some on here proclaim it to be.

I can't see how our attack wouldn't be better by having a 20+ goal man within it. Whether that's Cristiano Ronaldo cutting in from the left, or Didier Drogba battering people up front I'm open to. Personally I think we should buy one of both in hope that one delivers the sort of numbers and performances we need to take that next step.

What surprised me when looking at Firmino's goals this season is, proportionally, how often they've coincided with Daniel Sturridge being on the pitch. Seems to me he enjoys having a strike partner to free up space for him.

[4pool]

Ibra is a 20 goal a season striker. How's that working out for that other lot?

We've had 20 goal a season strikers, didn't win the league.

We've had 30 goal a season strikers, didn't win the League.

Sometimes, the more you rely upon one striker, other players take less shots and less chances because they are looking for the main striker.

[LallanaInPyjamas]

Ibra is a 20 goal a season striker. How's that working out for that other lot?

He's scored 17 and their next best is Mata with 6. That's clearly not a recipe for success. Having a 20+ man like Ibra, but backed up by the likes of Mane, Coutinho and Firmino who can all score 10-15 quite easily, is.

[4pool]

He's scored 17 and their next best is Mata with 6. That's clearly not a recipe for success. Having a 20+ man like Ibra, but backed up by the likes of Mane, Coutinho and Firmino who can all score 10-15 quite easily, is.

On paper maybe.

My point being, when you have a main striker who gets most of the goals, the ones you claim chip in change their thought process to feed the main striker. They pass up chances or become more settled in trying to get assists.

It is never buy player X who scores Y goals so that adds to our total. There is a finite number of chances created per match. You have a main striker, he is the one on the end of most of them. Which then can limit the contribution of others.

Do we need Mane cutting into the box to try to score or send balls into the box for the main striker? The answer is both, before you bring it up, but it rarely works out that way. Players become conditioned. Players become reliant on a main striker. After all that is what a main striker is there for and being paid for.

Football is real on the pitch. It isn't a video game where you can just add stats.


Jurgens system is a sum total of the parts. A player can get 20 goals in that system, without being the "main striker".

Firmino, Coutinho, Mane, and  Lallana only played 10 League matches together, iirc. Had they of had 25-30 matches together Bob or Sadio could have cracked the 20 goal season mark. And i wouldn't call either one a main striker.

[an fear dearg]

You see I would be of the opinion that a fit and AFCON free Mane would have hit 20 plus goals this season.  He hits 20 and between the other 2 front men they hit on average 30...well thats a lot of goals. A front 3 of him, Bob and Dan would be potentially devastating.

[Linudden]

You see I would be of the opinion that a fit and AFCON free Mane would have hit 20 plus goals this season.  He hits 20 and between the other 2 front men they hit on average 30...well thats a lot of goals. A front 3 of him, Bob and Dan would be potentially devastating.

They really need to cut the Afcon preparations to say two-three days. If they insist on playing in the middle of all other continents' seasons the Fifa shouldn't give them a blank cheque to hold clubs ransom like their associations do. There's absolutely no reason for a player to miss so many games. Besides, ain't January a perfect time for a two-week winter break from all Premier League football anyways to prepare players for the European playoffs?

Too much money, too little common sense with people 

As for Firmino I'm optimistic he'll be able to start on Sunday and hopefully that'll mean there's finally some kind of option on the bench if the game stalls. Having Origi or Firmino if unable to start as a supersub is certainly at least somewhat intimidating for tired defenders.

[Suareznumber7]

I hope Sturridge starts the last game. Firmino is perfect against the big teams but I prefer a pure striker against the small teams were sometimes you get only one or two chances and you need clinical finishing. I hope we rectify that situation in the summer, unless Sturridge miraculously becomes injury free.

Are you saying that you get more chances against the big teams then you do the small teams?

[Linudden]

Are you saying that you get more chances against the big teams then you do the small teams?

I think the message was supposed to be that top teams play with a higher line which helps Firmino supposedly. I seem to recall he scored many goals against lower-end teams including two on Swansea, so I don't think that matters too much. Firmino's main issue is that just isn't a natural striker and a poor finisher in many instances. He's difficult to place on the pitch but also a useful player to have on the field, so he's a tricky player to get the most out of. I think him starting a lot on the left wing cutting inside is to be expected next year though.

[jimbo1962]

is Bobbo fit for todays match ?

[M(oaning) B(ecomes) E(mbarrassing)]

is Bobbo fit for todays match ?

Let's hope not.  He won't fancy lowly Middlesbrough and look how much better we are without the show pony. 

[The Test]

True. Much better to have the meat and potatoes grafter that is Danny Sturridge on the pitch rather than the fancy dan Brazilian trickster who won't put a shift in when the chips are down.... Or some other bollocks.

[El Lobo]

True. Much better to have the meat and potatoes grafter that is Danny Sturridge on the pitch rather than the fancy dan Brazilian trickster who won't put a shift in when the chips are down.... Or some other bollocks.

 

Do we really need to be slagging the players off today?

[The Test]

Not slagging anyone off mate. But calling the hardest working player in the squad a show pony is ridiculous.
And hoping he's not fit is also pretty twattish

[El Lobo]

Not slagging anyone off mate. But calling the hardest working player in the squad a show pony is ridiculous.
And hoping he's not fit is also pretty twattish

Aye, aimed at both of you really.

[The Test]

Fair enuf. Not really necessary to bring Studge into it. I'm a big fan of both players, and more importantly so is Klopp.

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

Let's hope not.  He won't fancy lowly Middlesbrough and look how much better we are without the show pony. 

I hope thats bait. Otherwise you have an extremely poor grasp of Firmino's footballing ability and performances.

[Gnurglan]

Sadio Mané
Liverpool
172 mins per goal
2240 mins played
13 Goals scored
5 Assists

Philippe Coutinho
Liverpool
179 mins per goal
2153 mins played
12 Goals scored
7 Assists

Roberto Firmino
Liverpool
272 mins per goal
2989 mins played
11 Goals scored
6 Assists

Considering Firminho has played upfront his stats are actually a little disappointing.

All three are OK. What we're missing is the player who scores 15-20 league goals to play with them. 11+6 is not enough for a first pick striker.

[Alonso_The_Assassin]

Let's hope not.  He won't fancy lowly Middlesbrough and look how much better we are without the show pony. 

I bet that you're the life and soul at parties...

[El Lobo]

I hope thats bait. Otherwise you have an extremely poor grasp of Firmino's footballing ability and performances.

Check his past posts mate.....its not bait.

[Pelé as a Comedian]

Let's hope not.  He won't fancy lowly Middlesbrough and look how much better we are without the show pony.

he's got the same amount of goals and assist as Mane and 2 less goals than Coutinho, are they show ponies too ? you absolute mug you 

[Chakan]

Let's hope not.  He won't fancy lowly Middlesbrough and look how much better we are without the show pony. 

Provided the assist for the opening goal.

[DanA]

I think Firmino is a really good striker and showed it all season. 11 goals and 7 assists for the season isn't ideal from a striker but he creates an identity for the team which we can build around. When you've got him up front, with Mane, Coutinho and Lallana then the pressing is intense and we've seen we score plenty. It's just when the pace goes out of the side (Mane) that we begin to struggle.

I think Mane could be a 20 goal player and if we got a special guy like him on the other wing then Firmino at ST and Coutinho/Lallana feeding them could be a very exciting combination.

[elpistolero7]

One thing to consider - Firmino himself is quite young. Not saying he's going to turn into Suarez overnight, but he had a 1 in 3 rate this season or thereabouts.

Over a long season with Europe, if he plays circa 45 games, he will likely hit 15 given his current rate. Its not bad, but he needs to be clearning 20, but there's scope for improvement, and I'm sure the manager and his staff will help him get there!

[nellyp]

Very happy to have rediscovered this forum. nice intelligent opinions of Firminhio here. personally I do not think he is a main striker, but I also do not thinik that Klopp does. He has managed well when he has played, but agains't the more defensive teams, I think he needs a partner to open up the gaps. I think forward is a position he can play and play well, but I cannot call him a striker; and that is what I want in this team. Once JK has a full squad, i believe you will see different strikers used against different types of defence and for different tactical formations. Firminhio will be a regular inmany of those, but not all

[djphal]

Firminhio

 

[testies]

His layoff to Winaldum was underrated. It really broke their defense open and it was crucial for us now to be celebrating top4 imo.

Not too many strikers have his link up play. I think Benzema is similar in that sense

[Buck Pete]

Surprised he wasn't involved in the Lullona and Cooteeneeho goals.

[SerbianScouser]

Considering how much Klopp loves him and how much better he is playing through the middle rather than wide, with Phil being moved back hence wide-forward slot being vacated truly hope we'll manage to find a 15-20 goals forward so there wouldn't be too much disruption to our usual set-up.

And if we manage to find that guy in the mould of let's say Mertens or Alexis we'll have enough goals upfront to win the league. I suspect that this is most likely to be our plan for the summer unless there were some very unexpected moves in the market in terms of players availability which then might change our way of thinking for the next season.

[The Test]

Gerrards comments r.e rob yesterday were pretty telling...

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/steven-gerrard-top-level-liverpool-13093355

Steven Gerrard - the 'top level' Liverpool player who surprised me in Sydney
Reds legend on 'loving every second' of returning to play in a Reds shirt in Sydney

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COMMENTS
BYJAMES PEARCE
17:15, 25 MAY 2017
SPORT

Steven Gerrard during the International Friendly match between Sydney FC and Liverpool FC at ANZ Stadium on May 24, 2017 (Photo: (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
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Steven Gerrard admits he “loved every second” of his Liverpool return on a night when he was blown away by the brilliance of Roberto Firmino.

The Kop legend, who featured in the Reds’ 3-0 friendly win over Sydney FC, was left wishing that he had lined up alongside the gifted Brazilian attacker during his Anfield career.


Gerrard made the last of his 710 appearances for Liverpool in May 2015 - two months before Firmino joined the club in a £29million deal from Hoffenheim.

“To play with Firmino, especially, was an absolute pleasure,” Gerrard told the ECHO.

“I would have loved to have played with him for a couple of years.


Roberto Firmino during the International Friendly match between Sydney FC and Liverpool FC at ANZ Stadium on May 24, 2017 (Photo: (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
“He’s a very intelligent footballer. He’s on that same wavelength – he sees things.

“There are players and there are levels and he’s absolutely top level.”

Gerrard, who retired last November after a spell with LA Galaxy, received a standing ovation from the 73,000-strong crowd and a warm embrace from Jurgen Klopp when he was substituted early in the second half of the Reds’ victory at the ANZ Stadium.

[Djimi Smicer34]

High praise coming from someone like Steven Gerrard; I'd have liked to see him and Firmino play in the same Liverpool team as well.

He's right, Firmino is a top class player.

[SquirrelandGman]

He's special all right. Gerrard knows class when he sees one.

Hes a top guy to.. Stopping for selfies with every fan on the way to the locker.

Mind u he probably likes taking selfies lol

[skipper757]

It's great to see Gerrard praise him, and Gerrard also said he believes that top players will be excited to join the club.

Not to spam this thread with Twitter, but Stevie's not the only high profile admirer of Firmino.  Not saying we'll get him or anything, but top players recognize a top talent when they see one, and everyone wants to play with great players and top managers.  Look at Torres' excitement at joining us and Suarez's constant praise of Stevie.  Good to see top players praise Bob.

https://twitter.com/antogriezmann/status/687368606447976448?lang=en

https://twitter.com/antogriezmann/status/822805399946596352?lang=en

[coutinho and firmino]

I think with more pace around him, he will hit 20 goals in all competitions next season.

[Severely]

It's a tough thing, to get put on that top tier level by Stevie. In his book, if I recall, the other players he singled out as being at that highest standard (that he's played with) are Torres, Xabi, Rooney, Suarez and maybe Owen? High praise.

[Oberyn_Martell]

It's a tough thing, to get put on that top tier level by Stevie. In his book, if I recall, the other players he singled out as being at that highest standard (that he's played with) are Torres, Xabi, Rooney, Suarez and maybe Owen? High praise.

Sturridge too i think.

[mickeydocs]

They really need to cut the Afcon preparations to say two-three days.

Are you aware that Afcon is an important tournament to players from Africa?

[PhilV]

Gerrards comments r.e rob yesterday were pretty telling...

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/steven-gerrard-top-level-liverpool-13093355

BIIIIIG praise from the man himself! He is right though, Bobby is pure class, love him, also been picked out by Adidas as one of the main faces of their new boot alongside Messi, think next season will be even better from him ya know!

[PeterTheRed ...]

https://twitter.com/LFCroundup/status/877270667137347584

[Chris~]

https://twitter.com/LFCroundup/status/877270667137347584

Dissapointingly tame by his usual standards.

[ggcc14]

He invited Allan Rodriguez? That was nice of him.