We know what a good finisher Firmino is when he gets an opportunity in front of goal, and what I really like about him is that he is so calm in those situations.
When the chance comes, he sees the picture so he is in the right place – and he can execute it too.
Fabinho described him as a number nine who can play as if he is in number eight role, not just as a number 10 – which shows how deep into midfield he goes at times.
The first bit is the easy part, but then you need composure to find the net. Not a lot of players have it, but Firmino does, and his goals could play a vital part in the title race.
Roberto Firmino: “Coming to play for Liverpool was a dream come true for me. I really like living here.”— DaveOCKOP (@DaveOCKOP) March 17, 2019
Whether he is leading the line in a 4-3-3 formation or in a deeper role behind the main striker in a 4-2-3-1 shape, Firmino does so much good work for his team.
When he doesn’t play, they miss him significantly because they don’t have another player who can carry out those roles for the team.
What they are not getting enough of from him at the moment is goals. As a former striker myself, I want to see him getting in the box more to finish things like I know he can.
When Chamberlain, the ball carrier, comes back into the XI, players like Firmino and Salah will benefit majorly. #LFC— Anfield Press (@AnfieldPress) March 18, 2019
The fact he plays deeper, particularly when Salah has been playing as the central striker, obviously makes that more difficult.
It leaves him a greater distance to run to attack the box and it must be tiring too, but he needs to find the right moments to get into those areas more often, and have an even greater effect on matches.