Tony Cascarino: Roberto Firmino could be the first of the Liverpool front three to bid goodbye to the club
In conversation with TalkSPORT (h/t Liverpool Echo), former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino has tipped Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino to be the first amongst their vaunted front three to exit the club.
He believes that the inclusion of Diogo Jota into this Reds squad has the potential to change the dynamics of the team. The Portuguese sensation has so far proven to be an inspired buy and has scored a number of key goals for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Brought in from TSG Hoffenheim in 2015, Firmino struggled under Brendan Rodgers. The arrival of Jurgen Klopp has since proven to be a godsend and the Brazilian has thrived under the German’s tutelage.,
Firmino has often been the glue that linked Liverpool’s fluid frontline. His performances have however dropped off and he had a largely uneventful 2020/21 campaign.
While the trio of Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have all contributed massively to Liverpool’s success, They have also started a large number of games, tiring themselves out.
“All three of them, Firmino, Salah, and Mane have played a high level of football, over a number of seasons.”
As Jota continues to evolve, something has got to give. The Portuguese international relegated Firmino to the bench for the first two games of this season. Whether it is a sign of things to come remains to be seen. Cascarino however believes so.
“Maybe Jota coming into the club upset the dynamics of the three in some bizarre way because Jurgen played him, at times. He came in and hit the ground running. Certainly one will go, it will be who will be the first one to go? At this moment in time, it looks like Firmino.”
With or without Jota, Liverpool will have to start preparing for the future. While Firmino remains potent, he has lost that touch of magic that saw him stand apart. What the future holds for the Samba star remains to be seen.
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Firmino missed Liverpool’s matches against Leeds United and Crystal Palace this season after he picked up a hamstring injury against Chelsea. It remains unlikely that he will feature against either Norwich City or Brentford later this week.
While one cannot rule out the Brazilian, he will need to step up and up his game if he is serious about holding onto his starting spot.
