Gary Neville and Liverpool do not have a highly amicable relationship by any means, but the Sky Sports pundit has still found time to issue esteemed praise for Reds striker Roberto Firmino.
Speaking on Monday Night Football, the ex-Manchester United defender praised the influence and the ‘unselfish’ work done by the Brazilian forward, who has recently come in for criticism for his lack of goals and a dip in performances.
Firmino has enjoyed his best week for the Reds this season after grabbing a late winner against Tottenham before netting a brace in the 7-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace.
The £29m man, who was signed from Hoffenheim in 2015, has answered his own critics of late but Neville stepped in to praise his role in the team. The 45-year-old said on Sky Sports [via The Focus]:
”You see Firmino at Liverpool who does sometimes get questioned a little bit for not scoring enough goals, but I don’t think from anybody who knows anything about football questions him.”
The former Manchester United right-back went on to suggest that, because of the goals of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah on either side of the Liverpool number nine, Firmino’s impact often goes unnoticed.
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Obvious drawbacks aside, Neville has nailed this one and Jurgen Klopp would concur.
Firmino’s pressing and link-up play has been pivotal to the success of Klopp’s side in the last two seasons and the German is acutely aware of his importance to the team.
The 29-year-old came in for additional criticism in certain quarters early this season, including from some Liverpool supporters, when his performances did undoubtedly dip below his usual standards, all whilst Diogo Jota was enjoying a purple patch.
Perhaps the lambasting he received was an overreaction but his form was off for a period and football fans can be a fickle bunch.
Although he may not score every time he gets the ball despite the Kop’s best intentions, Firmino’s influence on this team epitomises the perfect Klopp player with his work rate and willingness to let his teammates take the plaudits.
