OPINION
Liverpool attacker Roberto Firmino produced one of his worst performances for the club as they were held to a desperately disappointing 1-1 draw with West Ham United on Monday night.
The Brazilian was truly awful as Jurgen Klopp’s team failed to click into gear against a surprisingly sprightly Hammers side. Klopp ended up hauling him off in the second half in what amounted to a mercy killing considering the way the game was going for the 27-year-old.
He could barely find a team mate in the second half, his passes going all over the place and his normally top class link-up play nowhere to be found. In what was a crucial game for the Reds he failed to turn up, and the result could prove costly for Liverpool.
The former Hoffenheim man will now be fearing the axe from Klopp for Saturday’s game against Bournemouth and, after Monday’s showing, who would be surprised to see Firmino relegated to the bench against the Cherries?
This is the time of the season where Liverpool’s best players need to be step up and be counted and they simply haven’t done that of late. Firmino was the chief offender against West Ham and he really needs to take a long, hard look at himself.
Since scoring four times in two games against Arsenal and Manchester City Firmino has largely gone missing, registering just one goal in the four games since those pivotal clashes.
All four of those matches have been against the Premier League’s so-called lesser sides, leaving you to wonder whether Firmino has trouble motivating himself for those sorts of games.
Either way, he hasn’t been good enough and his performance against the Hammers was the nadir. No one would be surprised to see Klopp drop him to the bench for Saturday’s game.
