'In my opinion': Merson says Liverpool have a player who can do things that even Jota and Diaz can't do

By Shamanth Jayaram

Paul Merson has heaped praise on Liverpool star Roberto Firmino and the role he plays in Jurgen Klopp’s system.

The Brazilian came off the bench against Arsenal mid-week and scored a really good goal. That killed the game at the Emirates and the Reds are now just a point behind league leaders Manchester City.

Firmino’s false-nine role in Liverpool’s system and how he just links everything together is a phenomenal trait. He’s one of the biggest reasons why Klopp’s side have been so successful recently, but his place is in jeopardy now.

Luis Diaz’s arrival and Diogo Jota’s brilliance has cast a shadow of doubt on Firmino’s future, but Merson feels that the Brazilian offers something that the two others just can’t.

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Paul Merson: Roberto Firmino is such an intelligent footballer

In his column on Sportskeeda, the Englishman wrote: “Roberto Firmino scored an important goal against Arsenal and there’s been a lot of talk about his position in the Liverpool team in recent weeks, but I think he’s a top-class player.

“He’s an important part of the team and links everything together, so I don’t see Liverpool letting him go. In my opinion, he was the main cog in the front three with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, but he never got the credit he deserved.

“I don’t think the likes of Diogo Jota or Luis Diaz can do what he does for the team, because they are different players. Individually, Jota will score more goals than Firmino, but in terms of the front three, the other two players will score a lot more when they play alongside the Brazilian.

“That’s the way I see it – he’s such an intelligent footballer.”

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TBR View:

Merson is absolutely spot on.

Without Firmino in the side, Liverpool probably wouldn’t have won the Premier League and Champions League in recent years. He is a fantastic player but it’s unclear where he’ll be next season.

Firmino, like his good pals Sadio Mane and Mo Salah, will enter the final year of his contract this summer. Liverpool’s priority will be to keep hold of their Egyptian king and rightly so, but could that push the Brazilian out of the door.

It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming months but if Klopp needs a few words of advice from us, we suggest that he’s better off keeping Firmino in the squad.

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