The Brazil forward was going nowhere under Brendan Rodgers but a change in attitude under the German coach has got the Brazilian fulfilling his potential
Jurgen Klopp probably couldn’t believe his luck when he arrived at Liverpool last year and found Roberto Firmino waiting for him in the dressing room. Klopp was well acquainted with the Brazilian from his days in charge of Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga where Firmino starred for Hoffenheim. He was a keen admirer of his talent and knew the precise mix to bring it out on a consistent basis.
“I played him a lot of times when he was at Hoffenheim so I knew a lot about him,” the Reds manager said. “The only thing is now he makes sure of talent and attitude.”
Firmino was foundering during his early days at Anfield. Goalless in his first six Premier League matches, he was in danger of being contaminated with the label ‘flop’. Brendan Rodgers had paid Hoffenheim £29m for the forward in the summer of 2015 while Firmino was with the Brazil squad at the Copa America but the Irishman got little or no return on that before being sacked after a Merseyside derby draw against Everton.
Firmino was in no man’s land. Then again, so were Liverpool. Both club and player were desperately in search of inspiration, purpose and identity. Klopp has put Liverpool together again since taking charge and has finally brought the best from the 24-year-old.
Firmino learned a lot at Hoffenheim – enough, of course, to earn a place alongside Neymar in the Brazil team for whom he scored again last week – but one thing we perhaps never learned about him was his best position. He was a polyvalent presence - playing many different roles - but consistently effective in his chance creation and to a lesser extent his goal scoring.
Firmino also possesses a tall, sturdy frame which meant adaptation to the Premier League should have been at least theoretically easier. Like his absorption into the first-team ranks at Hoffenheim and the national team, though, it would take a while for Firmino to make his mark for Liverpool.
A goal and two assists in the ransacking of Manchester City last November served notice of his capabilities for the first time to British audiences, and he finished the season with more goals and assists than any other Liverpool player.
“He’s a really good football player and he loves what he’s doing,” said Klopp.
The Gerrman recently appeared on Monday Night Football and was asked to pin down his Liverpool formation. Was it 4-3-3 or was it 4-5-1, or was it something else entirely? He didn’t have a straight answer. He was at pains to explain that there were certain sectors on the field in which he’s like his players to be when Liverpool had the ball. It does not necessarily matter who is where so long as Liverpool have passing options and the preparedness to get bodies in the box at the right time.
He said Sadio Mane was as likely to find himself in a central playmaking role as Adam Lallana was to pop up on the right wing. Liverpool – with those two former Southampton stars, Firmino and Philippe Coutinho – possess as fluid a front line as exists in the Premier League. Klopp has reconstructed Liverpool’s attack with Firmino the centrepiece; he is off and running this season with three league goals and two assists.
He was on hand to rescue the Reds from an ordinary result in Swansea before the international break; his best display of the season served up a goal and assist. It is not just about making chances and interchangeability though. Klopp came to Liverpool with a reputation as a man who expected his team to press – high and early. There has been a huge clear out at Anfield over the summer with 14 players leaving the club permanently and nine more on loan. Klopp has kept around those who understand his demands and who stay faithful to his desires off the ball. Firmino leads the team from the front figuratively and literally.
“He’s a good team-mate for all the other guys,” said Klopp. “He loves working for them.”
For all his neatness and creativity in possession, Firmino is also favoured by his coach to be the first man in the press. His characteristics mean he is the best man for the job, not Daniel Sturridge and certainly not Mario Balotelli or Christian Benteke who have left.
“He is how offensive players should be – kind of selfish - but actually it’s not too important for him if he scores or not,” said Klopp. “If he has an assist, that’s all good. So it makes him a really nice team-mate.”
Firmino is by no means an out-and-out striker but then again Liverpool knew that when they signed him. He is a player with no real readily identifiable position. Klopp says of himself that he is currently a coach with no preferred formation. “For me it’s a big pleasure to work with him,” said the manager. One complements the other perfectly.
During the first weekend of the 2016-2017 English Premier League season, there were several outstanding individual performances, but none more so than the one Phillipe Coutinho produced for Liverpool in their enthralling 4-3 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Classy Coutinho’s superb start to the season
As well as scoring twice, Coutinho was the fulcrum of Liverpool’s attack, just as he has consistently been since joining the club in January 2013.
Whilst Coutinho scored with a wonderfully executed free kick, which he earned himself, in first half stoppage time to draw Liverpool level at 1-1, the 24-year-old Brazilian then put his team 3-1 ahead courtesy of an improvised finish shortly after half time. In doing so Coutinho took his goals tally in all competitions for Liverpool to 30, with 13 of those being scored from outside the opposition penalty area, which testifies his wonderful ball striking ability.
Operating on the left side of a front three, whereby Roberto Firmino assumed a central role and Sadio Mane played on the right, Coutinho was instrumental in orchestrating much of Liverpool’s excellent play, a spell of which preceded his second goal.
Specifically that followed a flowing 19 pass move, which involved nine different Liverpool players, as Coutinho expertly met Adam Lallana’s cross, after cunningly drifting into Arsenal’s box from his wide left position.
That act capped another superb display by Coutinho, of which there have been plenty during his three-and-a-half seasons with Liverpool, as he has firmly established himself as both a chief source of goals for the club and one of the best attacking play makers in world football.
Abundance of qualities to Coutinho’s game
Not only is Coutinho blessed with wonderful vision and passing ability, the former Inter Milan player’s ambidexterity, pace and agility form the basis of his superb dribbling skills. Ultimately he uses those to effortlessly glide past opponents, who are regularly left dumbfounded by his nimble footwork, which he abundantly displayed against Arsenal, before being substituted due to injury to take some of the shine off his glittering performance.
That was characterised by Coutinho’s creative craft, with the mercurially talented Brazilian’s ability to produce that on a regular basis, being of the utmost importance to Liverpool in their quest to win a first piece of silverware since they lifted the 2011-2012 League Cup under the guidance of Kenny Dalglish.
The 65-year-old Scotsman continues to be regarded as one of the greatest players in Liverpool’s history, with Coutinho currently aspiring to earn such a revered reputation, as he continues to endear himself to the club’s supporters who have aptly nicknamed him the Little Magician, due to his considerable creative talent.
For each of the past two seasons, Coutinho has been named both Liverpool’s fans and players, player of the year with it altogether possible that he will once again receive that award, should he be able to reproduce the type of excellent form which he delivered to inspire Liverpool’s 4-3 opening day victory over Arsenal.
With the addition of Sadio Mane, yet another player has been thrown into an already crowded mix of attacking talent at Anfield. With Jürgen Klopp starting his first full season as Liverpool manager, the burning question is simple: How will all the pieces fit in?
Last season, 10 different players made double-digit league starts for Liverpool in either the midfield or forward positions. So if you think the Reds have a lot of bodies up front after the recent signing of Sadio Mane, that’s probably why.
In part, the lack of attacking continuity was due to both injuries and the fact that Jürgen Klopp basically had a free year to throw different things at the wall and see what stuck, taking over midway through what had already felt like a lost season.
With 14 (by my count) players that could be in the mix for the six midfield and forward spots, let’s run down the Liverpool roster and try to make sense of what Klopp will do come Match Day 1.
Sadio Mane
We won’t spend too much time speculating on Mane, it’s been done plenty already. However, the signing makes plenty of sense — and seemed to come at a reasonable price. In two years at Southampton, Mane was productive, healthy and showed excellent chemistry with Shane Long and Graziano Pelle. Also, this has to be the signing that confirms that the Saints are indeed Liverpool’s farm club. Right?
Defensive Midfield
There’s a cloud of uncertainty that hangs over every single club heading into the season, and more often than not, experience tends to win out when it comes to the starting XI. Don’t be surprised to see Jordan Henderson and James Milner anchoring the midfield when the Reds visit Arsenal on Match Day 1.
Henderson, in particular, has deserved a lot of the criticism he’s gotten at Liverpool and as an English national, but it’d be shocking to not see him lead the team out of the tunnel on opening weekend. Milner, solid as ever, had a predictably steady first year at Anfield. He led the team with 11 league assists.
The other name to watch here is Emre Can. Just 22, the German has looked impressive through two years at Anfield and would seem a natural fit in the holding position. But even if the Milner/Henderson duo earn the starts, that doesn’t immediately relegate Can to the bench. After Nathaniel Clyne, the other three spots on the back line are shaky, and Can could slide into one of those as well.
Attacking Midfield
The No. 10 is always a great place to start the attacking midfield conversation, and that of course would be Philippe Coutinho, he of the spectacular goal(s). The two-time reigning Liverpool Player of the Year will no doubt continue to give goalkeepers nightmares from long-range.
Staying in Coutinho’s home country of Brazil, one of the wings figures to be occupied by Roberto Firmino, whose EPL debut season last year had to be a nice surprise for Liverpool fans. A relatively unheralded international, but a proven scorer in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim, Firmino’s league stat line of 10 goals and seven assists was one of the biggest positives for the Reds.
Sticking with the ex-Southampton theme, Adam Lallana will likely get the first crack on the opposite wing. He may lack the directness of some of his teammates, but the English midfielder is a proven match-winner. In his final year with the Saints, Lallana scored nine league goals and made PFA Team of the Year. Liverpool is still awaiting that kind of production from him.
Striker
Daniel Sturridge may not be a natural as a true No. 9, and the 20-goal season that he posted as Luis Suarez’s sidekick in 2013-14 won’t happen again if he can’t stay healthy. Still, his scoring rate makes him undroppable. The last two seasons at Liverpool, the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016 — one fact remains — Sturridge can score goals despite being on struggling teams.
He looked healthy in the Euros and now with a full offseason to prepare, it’s all set up for Sturridge to at least contend in what will be a wide open race for the Golden Boot.
Subbing In
Christian Benteke, Jordan Ibe and Divock Origi all made more appearances off the bench than in the starting XI in EPL action last season. With Ibe and Origi clearly still developing, Benteke becomes the most interesting name here. Though the Belgian had a chance to grab the striker’s role by the horns early last season and didn’t take it, nine league goals in his Liverpool debut season is hardly a bad return.
In four years as a Premier League regular, Benteke has played in over 100 games and has scored more than 50 goals. He’s productive. He’s also hardly a mystery. Benteke can be an effective sub for Liverpool because of his ability to absolutely punish weak CBs physically, something no player at the club can do quite as well. And if Klopp is lucky, he can also do this.
On the Way Out?
Joe Allen and Danny Ings are solid players, but they also seem the two most likely to be deemed surplus. Allen is currently thriving at the Euros as part of an inspiring Wales side, but last season, his 17 league appearances were the lowest total he’s had in four years at Anfield. He’s already been linked with West Bromwich Albion and his boyhood club, Swansea City.
It’d be an understatement to say Ings was unlucky under Klopp last year. In Klopp’s first training session, Ings suffered a torn ACL and missed all but the final game of the season. Reports have suggested that Klopp is a fan of Ings, but with so many clubs at the bottom half of the table that could benefit from his services, a loan for the right price would make a lot of sense.
For now though, we’ll say Allen is likely out and Ings remains in at Liverpool.
The dust is starting to settle. The rain, so relentless that night in Basel, has finally ceased. After a long puff of the cheeks, it is now time for assessment.
Jurgen Klopp’s first seven months in charge at Liverpool sped by. Full throttle, he called it, at his unveiling in October. How right he was. Thirty nine players, 52 games, 104 press conferences, two finals.
One big assessment needed.
Football is desperate for snap decisions; hot takes, as the kids call them. Little is left to breathe any more, with a huge rush to pass judgement.
So it has proven. The German has been with the club less than a year, but statements are already being made – the vast majority of them in favour, in truth.
Rightly so. The improvement at Anfield since his arrival is evident. The Reds needed a change after Brendan Rodgers lost both the fans’ belief and his own; Klopp was a blockbuster acquisition, a no-brainer of an appointment to excite, unite, and begin what FSG hopes is the club’s ascension back to the top.
It hasn’t been easy, and it never will be. A few bumps on the way, and a few still ahead. There has been plenty to appreciate, but a fair bit to criticise, too.
Some are reticent to throw criticism towards Klopp, choosing to lay most of the blame at the boots of the players he sends out on to the field.
The Liverpool boss wouldn’t entertain that. Speaking after the Europa League final defeat, he left no illusion where blame laid. “My situation as manager of the team is that all I have to do is self-criticise, nothing else,” he said. “It is all about us, all about me. It is my job to help the players to react in different situations better. I can improve a lot.”
A noble thought, but unwarranted, too. What happened in Switzerland, and during other low points in the season, deserved a fairer attribution of blame. Klopp could have done a few things better and he didn’t get everything right – but neither did his players.
If only others followed his example. Any criticism of Klopp is usually deflected on to the players; rarely is it attributed to the man in the dugout. The German himself would not want that and perhaps that character – his loyalty, humility and honesty – absolves him of such scrutiny.
There are caveats and mitigating circumstances, of course. Any critique is followed by a huge but; Klopp has had just seven months in charge, with a squad he did not choose, with an unprecedented injury crisis and hectic fixture list.
Still, 2015-16 brought both good and bad. Klopp did things well, and others not so well.
Klopp and Mignolet
What Klopp did well
Unity and identity on the pitch: Klopp arrived at a club whose direction was unclear. On the field, there was no defined style of play; a collective of individuals, rather than a team. Off the field, it was just as unclear. Roberto Firmino and Christian Benteke arrived in the same summer, with no real indication of whether short-term or long-term mattered more.
Enter the German. He came with a reputation of playing a certain style of football, and a clear identity off the field, too. Liverpool would now be a club that looks to nurture top talent with a high-intensity, complex pressing game.
While Rodgers had lost the crowd by the end of his tenure, Klopp had found them. While Rodgers had lost sight of what he wanted to do at Anfield, Klopp came with a clear vision. In less than a season, the implementation of that has begun. There is no question how the Reds, and Klopp, plan to achieve success – it is now about whether they can carry it out.
Instilling a never-say-die attitude: The comeback against Borussia Dortmund was incredible. “If you read it in a book you think [it is] nice but it is really rare,” said Klopp after the 4-3 win.
But in truth, it was only following a script Klopp had started to write on Merseyside. The Reds had come from behind to beat Chelsea, Norwich and Crystal Palace, as well as saving points against West Brom and Arsenal. It was the thrilling 5-4 win at Carrow Road in January that truly set the standard, a manic end which included two goals in stoppage time. Liverpool, so often accused of lacking character, have developed a real drive to turn things around.
Klopp and players salute the Kop
Implemented signs of pressing style: Gegenpressing was the buzz word around Anfield. Articles – tens, hundreds, thousands – contained the word in an attempt to explain and examine Klopp’s preferred style of football at Borussia Dortmund.
There have been signs of that working at Liverpool. Some of the pressing has been electric, with the likes of Firmino, Adam Lallana, Emre Can, James Milner and Divock Origi demonstrating how effective it can be if utilised correctly. Klopp’s side now runs harder, and smarter, than it did do previously.
Given the obstacles Klopp has faced this season in terms of training time, it is impressive how some have embraced his hard-running, intense style. No wonder there is optimism surrounding next season, with more time at Melwood a given after failure to qualify for Europe.
Brought the best out of high-profile players: Towards the end of Rodgers’ time at the club, some of the so-called big names were not performing to expected levels, while others were simply not performing. As such, the transfer windows of both 2014 and 2015 were being regarded as unmitigated failures, the club’s recruitment policy coming under scrutiny.
Klopp, however, has managed to get a tune out of a group of players he didn’t sign. Can now has a defined role and position, and looks much better for it; so, too, the barnstorming Origi. Firmino, after finding adaptation to English football hard, ended the season in double figures; Lallana and Dejan Lovren, bought from Southampton, have started to repay some of the £45m spent on them with much better showings.
Add that to how some of the Academy stars have progressed – Sheyi Ojo and Brad Smith two that spring to mind – and Klopp’s arrival has raised the level of performance substantially.
Reconnected the disconnected: Klopp spoke with sadness in November after his first league defeat as Liverpool boss. The 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace was a kick to the sternum for him, mainly because of how the home crowd reaction. “I felt pretty alone at this moment,” he said afterwards, reflecting on how fans departed Anfield after Palace’s second on 82 minutes.
A month later, he and the players raised their arms in front of the Kop. He was mocked for such a celebratory gesture after the 2-2 draw with West Brom, but the symbolism was clear – supporters had stayed until the end to cheer, and were rewarded with Origi’s late equaliser.
It is still not a perfect relationship, but a fire has been reignited within the crowd, lit by the excellent Europa League run. The atmospheres against Manchester United, Dortmund and Villarreal were to savour.
It might not quite be Westfalenstadion yet, and the relationship is still in the rebuilding stage, but Klopp has helped mend the bond between fans and players.
Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool shows his dejection at the final whistle v Sevilla
What Klopp did not do well
Holding on to a lead: As good as Liverpool were at fighting back from behind, they also tossed away plenty of points from winning positions. Sunderland (albeit Klopp was in hospital recovering from appendicitis), Southampton and Newcastle saw the Reds relinquish two-goal leads. If they would have held on to them in all three games, they would have finished fourth and qualified for the Champions League.
The character of the side – lauded when they manage to come back from behind – has been criticised, but there is also a sense Klopp must look at halting negative momentum sooner. Granted, he does not have a squad he built, but there have been opportunities to bring an extra body on in midfield, or even a different sort of striker, to gain more control over a game.
Defending as a team: When the pressing and counter-pressing works, it is a daunting prospect for the opposition. When it doesn’t, however, the door is open to take advantage.
By Klopp’s own admission, such a complex pressing system needs full concentration from every player on the pitch. Everybody needs to play their part. At times this season, gaps have opened up, and Liverpool have been far too susceptible on the counter attack.
There have been individual errors – Simon Mignolet the main culprit, with six in the Premier League – but it is a collective effort, too.
It would be lazy to suggest Klopp could be troubled if his tactics are ‘found out’ – a manager of his quality is always adapting, always innovating – but there are times when Liverpool’s counter-press is less effective. What happens when, for example, the opposition allow the Reds to have 70% of the ball? It is something Klopp will be pondering this summer.
Bring tangible league improvement: There are the caveats. There are the mitigating circumstances. Yet, the reality cannot be shirked: Liverpool ended the season in eighth place, with two unsuccessful cup finals to boot.
Of course, Liverpool’s league form was impacted by their run to the Europa League final. It is doubtful results such as Newcastle (2-2), Swansea (1-3) or West Brom (1-1) would have occurred if the Reds were not prioritising European glory.
That still does not account for other limp performances, particularly Newcastle (0-2), Watford (0-3) and West Ham (0-2). The end result, ultimately, is that Klopp’s points-per-game ratio of 1.6 is only 0.1 better off than Rodgers.
That means nothing alone, and seasons should not be judged on such arbitrary measures. But ultimately, Liverpool ended in their joint-lowest position since they were promoted back to the top-flight in 1963. In fact, it was only the fourth time in that 53-year period the Reds finished eighth.
A trophy was so agonisingly close, and would have brought Champions League football as well. As it is, Klopp begins his first full season looking to improve massively on this season’s final showing.
Set pieces: Liverpool’s defence has been a curious beast this season. Lovren has been transformed into a good option at the back, while Mamadou Sakho – before his UEFA suspension – was becoming a real hero of the Kop. In some games, they, along with their team-mates, have looked solid and dependable. In others, not so much.
Yet one issue continues to rear its head for Klopp – set-pieces. Time after time, the Reds find themselves in difficult situations due to their inability to deal with balls into the box. After the 5-4 win at Norwich, he said: “Of course we know about this problem, I’m sorry to say it’s not a problem we can ignore.”
It hasn’t really improved, though. It isn’t much better at the other end, either, scoring just six from set-piece situations. The biggest demonstration, perhaps, of how Klopp needs a proper pre-season and time on the training pitch with his side.
Klopp and his squad at Melwood
Sevilla: The Europa League final cannot be ignored as a whole. Indeed, it was a collective show of what hasn’t worked this season. The relinquishing of a lead, the defensive lapses, the inability to grasp any semblance of control in the football game.
Part of it was the players. Moreno had a half to forget, but he was not alone as the Reds toiled against the Spanish side. But Klopp also did little to arrest the slump, waiting too long to make a substitution and leaving Joe Allen, Lucas Leiva and Jordan Henderson on the bench as Sevilla went 3-1 ahead. One of those midfielders could have, potentially, halted the Sevilla momentum.
Instead, everything remained the same and Unai Emery’s men scored three in 25 minutes, wrestling the trophy from Liverpool’s grasp.
Klopp was keen to accept responsibility after the game; too much of it, undoubtedly. He will be even keener to put that right next season.
Coke of Sevilla and Alberto Moreno of Liverpool compete for the ball.
Everton defender Ramiro Funes Mori has apologised to Divock Origi over the challenge that injured the Liverpool striker in Wednesday's Merseyside derby.
Funes Mori was sent off after catching Origi on the ankle in the 50th minute of Everton's 4-0 thrashing at Anfield.
Origi left the field on a stretcher and, although his ankle is not broken, Liverpool are still to learn the full extent of his injury.
Funes Mori wrote on his Twitter page: "I very much regret what happened yesterday. It was never my intention to harm a rival nor my colleagues (by) leaving the field.
"And regarding Divock Origi, I fervently hope it's nothing serious and know that was never my intention to hurt (him). I ask my apologies for what happened."
Meanwhile, beleaguered Everton boss Roberto Martinez has demanded an instant Wembley reaction in what now appears a daunting FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United tomorrow.
The Spaniard said: "We need to regroup and make sure we have that opportunity to give the fans what they deserve - a chance to get in the final. That game is so close to us I don't feel we should dwell on this game too long.
"It is such a huge footballing occasion at the weekend that the only way we have got is to face adversity in an exemplary way and get ready to perform well in the semi-final."
Liverpool midfielder Roberto Firmino posts a photo of his sports car on Snapchat.
Roberto Firmino is one of Liverpool’s smoothest operators on the pitch and the Brazilian appears to have good taste in cars, too.
The South American helped the Reds secure a famous 4-0 victory over their derby rivals Everton in the 226th Merseyside derby at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Firmino could line up against Newcastle United in their home Premier League clash on Saturday afternoon, although Jurgen Klopp could rest his star player ahead of Thursday’s trip to Villarreal in the first leg of their Europa League semi-finals.
The 24-year-old is Liverpool’s top goal-scorer this term after a return of 10 Premier League goals following his £29m move to the Merseyside outfit from Bundesliga club Hoffenheim last summer.
And Firmino appears to have treated himself to an impressive sports car – red, naturally – which he posed next to for Snapchat photo on Wednesday afternoon.
Liverpool are in seventh place in the Premier League table and nine points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.
Get 12/1 enhanced odds on Tottenham to win the league this season. Click here to sign up now. T&Cs apply.
After a difficult start to life at Anfield, Roberto Firmino is starting to show his true colours under Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds saw off interest from rivals Manchester United to sign the Brazilian forward for a hefty £29million last summer.
The former Hoffenheim forward struggled before Brendan Rodgers’ sacking in October but he’s starting to show the form that persuaded the club to shell out on the 24-year-old.
In fact, since the turn of the year, Firmino’s been the most decisive player in the Premier League when you look at his ‘goal involvement’ contributions – a player’s assists and goals combined.
Goals and assists in 2016
Roberto Firmino: 7 goals, 4 assists: 11 involvements Sergio Aguero: 9 goals, 1 assist: 10 involvements Diego Costa: 6 goals, 4 assists: 10 involvements
It’s taken Klopp time to install his philosophy at Anfield but, with huge games to come in the Europa League against Manchester United and just six points between the Reds and Man City in 4th, it’s the perfect time for Firmino to be coming into form.
