Former Premier League striker Noel Whelan leapt to the defence of Liverpool star Roberto Firmino on the back of recent criticism.
Firmino the ‘hero’
The 29-year-old has been out of form for some time before Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester United, where he glowed glimpses of the sort of football he is known for playing – playing in Mohamed Salah for the opening goal.
Despite this, Firmino’s form has been fluctuating massively – boasting match ratings of 6.07 and 9.18 in the last six games (Whoscored).
Perhaps because of that inconsistency, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports that Firmino, who earns £180k-per-week, may need to be replaced at the end of the season.
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But, speaking to Football Insider, Whelan disagreed and stuck by Liverpool’s number nine. “Firmino for me is one of these players who does not get enough credit, he is the unsung hero of that team,” he said.
“Everybody else gets the accolades. Mane or your Salah get praise a lot but all of their goals are created by a good piece of work by Firmino or a run that creates space for these players.
“He is very clever and very intelligent in that way.”
Transfer Tavern Verdict
Firmino has done a lot for Liverpool over the past few seasons – but does looked to have stagnated in recent months.
Whether this is deemed a reasonable enough excuse to replace him entirely, is Jurgen Klopp’s call to make.
With Diogo Jota recovering from injury, it will be interesting to see whether the Portugal international comes straight into the mix, or if Firmino will be given the opportunity to find his form.
In other news, James Pearce provides silver lining regarding Jordan Henderson.
