Danny Higginbotham heaped praise on Liverpool attacker Roberto Firmino following the 4-3 win over Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League.
The Sky Sports pundit stated that the Reds forward was able to impress without touching the ball as he was such an incredible player he could affect games even when not in possession.
Higginbotham went on to claim that Firmino was the most intelligent player at Liverpool due to his movement and also pointed out that he thought the attacker was often the first to press the opponent once they got the ball.
“He is nothing short of sensational,” said Higginbotham on Football Centre (Sky Sports News, 10:05am, Thursday October 3rd).
“I think he is an incredible player, I think he is the most intelligent player at Liverpool with his movement, I think he is so unselfish and it’s not just that, it’s off the ball as well.
“Liverpool love to press and Firmino likes to start the pressing and the others follow.
“He is an incredible player.
“Like I said, Firmino is a player who can affect the game without touching the ball, incredible player.”
OPINION
If Firmino wants to find a new leading member of his fan club then he should look no further than Higginbotham. The pundit is clearly in awe of him as it seems bizarre that he believes the Brazilian is able to impress even when the ball isn’t at his feet. Granted it’s easy to understand what he means, it just sounds silly when said aloud. Higginbotham clearly believes Firmino’s work ethic, his non-stop running and his desire to chase down every loose ball as well as put pressure on his opponent as soon as they get the ball, sees him influence the game in a positive way for Jurgen Klopp’s team. However while the 28-year-old does deserve praise for his work off the ball, he also deserves credit for what he has done on it so far this season. Firmino has scored three goals, while assisting three, in his seven league outings so far and has regularly been a thorn in his opponent’s side by constantly trying his luck as he has averaged an impressive three shots per game (Source: WhoScored).
