Is the Brazilian the key part of the jigsaw for Jurgen Klopp?
It’s amazing to think how reliant Liverpool were on Daniel Sturridge, just 12 months ago.
Cast your mind back. Brendan Rodgers had just been replaced with Jurgen Klopp, and one of Brendan’s major signings of the summer of 2015, Roberto Firmino, was showing no signs of hitting top gear any time soon. Sturridge was still struggling with injuries, and the ‘goal crisis’ at the club was down to the fact that he wasn’t playing, apparently.
The rebirth of Firmino began when Klopp arrived, and we started to see the effects of it when the Reds traveled to Manchester City on November 21st 2015. They took a 4-1 result away from the Etihad, and here we have the first examples of what makes Roberto Firmino a fantastic player.
Below, we see the first goal of the game, an own goal from Eliaquim Mangala after 10 minutes.
Firmino here causes the goal. His diagonal run forcing Mangala to begin running with him, but then make the terrible decision to step up and play an unsuccessful offside trap. Once he’s gained his bearings, Firmino has played it across the box and Mangala can’t sort his feel out in time. It all started from Firmino’s diagonal run.
This is what Firmino does so well. He got a goal himself later in the game as Liverpool dominated the first half, but this performance meant much more for him and for Liverpool than just 3 points. The fans were filled with optimism around the player, and it was the start of a good run of performances for the Brazilian.
A promising relationship
A year later, we’re seeing a much more developed Jurgen Klopp team. The pace in the side is frightening, and at the heart of it, we have the relationship of Firmino and his Brazilian international teammate, Phillippe Coutinho. It’s a partnership that’s ever growing and if the pair have a couple of seasons together, they can become the most deadly partnership in the league.
There are examples shining through a ‘telepathic’ connection between the pair, and what’s dangerous is that Coutinho has the ability to pick out Firmino on almost any run that he makes, and as Firmino becomes more intelligent playing in the deeper false 9 role, the pair can interchange and Firmino can often turn provider for Coutinho too, like below against Derby,
The pair have a special bond that is helped by their shared nationality. They are working together week in, week out, no matter what, even on international duty. If Coutinho leaves, Liverpool will really miss that relationship and connection they have, it’s the engine that’s currently driving the side.
Firmino form = Goodbye Sturridge?
Sturridge just looks miserable, doesn’t he? But unfortunately, for me, Daniel just isn’t a Jurgen Klopp player. The difference between him and Firmino? Daniel is far too static.
I talked before about Firmino’s diagonal running. How he drags defenders all over the place, Adam Lallana does the same. Sturridge does not do this. He’s almost the architect of his own downfall by not doing this as it makes Firmino are more appealing choice. Firmino may not have the finishing qualities of Sturridge, but if Sturridge is not capable of working to create his own chances, he will struggle to become favoured under Jurgen Klopp.
The prime example is the ‘Red Monday’ bore-fest last month between Liverpool and Manchester United. Sturridge started the match, and I believe it was no coincidence that the home side couldn’t find their rhythm that night, due to the lack of movement up front. His states in that game were:
1 touch inside the Manchester United penalty area
0 chances created
0 take-ons
0 shots
On the basis of those stats alone, which I believe show a true reflection of his attitude and effort on the pitch, some would argue that it could’ve been a lack of service, good defending against him, or an off-night, or any of those things. However, the proof to my point is that the game changed that night once Adam Lallana was introduced off the bench in replacement for Sturridge, in a return to the side from injury for the England international.
The game didn’t change just because Adam Lallana is a hardworker and can intensely press opposition players in midfield (although this is true), the game changed also because Roberto Firmino was to the center of the attack, rather than being out on the left.
From the introduction of Lallana, Liverpool found their intensity and created many more chances, and the combination of Coutinho and Firmino allowed them to create perhaps their best chance of the match late on, with a clever flick from Coutinho putting Firmino one-on-one with De Gea, only for Antonio Valencia to make a fantastic tackle and deny Roberto from pulling the trigger.
I think Sturridge’s days at Liverpool are numbered. The player simply doesn’t look happy. You see his face on the bench and when the team scores, he almost looks disappointed when someone other than himself scores. It’s a type of greediness that will become a larger problem as time goes on, and Klopp won’t tolerate it.
I won’t be surprised if Sturridge leaves Liverpool next summer, they are less and less reliant on him as time goes by, and I think he’ll be wanting a new challenge for the upcoming season.
Can Liverpool win the title?
The simple answer is yes, they can. There’s a difference between saying they can do it, and will do it, bear in mind. They are definitely capable of winning the title with their front 4 attackers. The defense is a separate issue and one that I’ll write about in a separate article. However, for me, they have the best attack in the league as a front force.
Sure, Aguero, Sanchez and Ozil, and Ibrahimovic are all world-class players, but the pace and intensity of Liverpool is quite incredible, and I think many people overlook Firmino as the main threat. Most people see the tricks and wizardry of Coutinho and give him all the credit, but Firmino is so intelligent off the ball, it is like a 6th sense to know where to run and when. The front 3 of Firmino, Coutinho and Mane, combined with Lallana, who is also starting to add goals to his game, is going to take some stopping from every team this season.
Watch out, Premier League.
By Ben Kelly – @benkelly_10 (Like my Facebook page!)
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