Tim Cahill heaped praise on Liverpool attacker Roberto Firmino for his display in the Reds’ 3-0 win over Burnley on Saturday.
The BBC pundit described the 27-year-old Reds forward as being an unsung hero who was the glue that held Liverpool’s front-three together.
Cahill highlighted how Firmino was a calming presence and pointed out that Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane knew when to make their runs when the Brazilian was on the ball.
“As you said unsung hero, for me he is the glue for the front two, we’re talking Mohamed Salah and Mane here,” said Cahill on BBC One’s Match of the Day (22:55, Saturday, August 31st).
“Without this guy, his composure, his flair, the way he holds it up, he plays it into his path (clip plays) great finish.
“Everything about Firmino now is about calming the situation down, winning the ball back, playing the ball forward and they already know, Salah and Mane, to make the runs.
“Great touch, takes it away from two defenders, playing it forward, this leads to nothing but it just shows that he is constantly the glue which makes this teamwork.”
OPINION
Firmino has a tendency to get overshadowed by his fellow Liverpool attackers Mane and Salah as he doesn’t score as many goals as them, so Cahill referring to the 27-year-old as an unsung hero makes sense. However, you would have to be living under a rock not to realise how good Firmino is as there’s a reason why he is so important to Jurgen Klopp’s side. The 27-year-old often drops deep into a midfield position in order to pick up the ball and start the attack for Liverpool, and if he wasn’t there, Mane and Salah would notice that they’re not getting the same amount of service they’re used to. Firmino was at his best against Burnley as not only did he register an assist but he also got himself on the scoresheet in order to grab his 50th Premier League career goal. The attacker had five attempts on goal, which showed he was a handful for the Clarets, made three key passes, registered three dribbles and it’s worth noting that no player achieved a higher rating than him in Liverpool’s clash with Burnley on WhoScored. Hopefully, Firmino is able to continue his form after the international break, as the Reds have several crucial fixtures coming up.
