By Daily Sports on December 28, 2019
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insisted he had never lost faith in Roberto Firmino when the Brazilian was worried by a lack of goals before scoring four in three matches including the Club World Cup final.
Firmino, known affectionately to Klopp as Bobby, met with Klopp after a worrying run of one goal in 16 appearances.
But the German told Firmino he was in the side for more than just his goals, since when he's been on a spree.
Firmino followed up his goals in the semifinal and final of the Club World Cup with a Boxing Day double in the Premier League leaders' 4-0 rout of nearest challengers Leicester City.
His goals against the Foxes led to an embrace with Klopp on the touchline at Leicester's King Power Stadium.
“Journalists told me he hadn’t scored for a while, but the thing about Bobby is that I don't think about scoring,” Klopp explained.
“I think about how important he is, so we had a little talk and I told him. For the first time he was a little bit concerned about that fact (he had not scored in so many games), and I told him I was not interested in that number.
“He is the connector for our team, he is so important for us. He is the only one who can play the position, and he plays the position in a very special way.
“He doesn’t have to come (for a hug) with every goal, but this time we had a little thing where, after being calm enough to leave him on the pitch in games that I never thought about (his lack of goals), he thought he would say thank you.”
Liverpool, bidding to be crowned English champions for the first time in 30 years, are 13 points clear at the top after thrashing Leicester.
They have now extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to 35 matches, with Liverpool’s last loss in the top flight a 2-1 defeat by Manchester City on January 3.
Liverpool, who next face Wolves at Anfield on Sunday, are closing in on Arsenal’s all-time top-flight record of 49 unbeaten matches, set from May 2003 to October 2004. (AFP)
•PHOTO: Resurgent Roberto Firmino
Source Daily Sports
Posted December 28, 2019
You may also like...
UCL Preview - Fireworks in Germany and France...
Aribo: My Focus On Super Eagles Not Villa,...
Lukaku: Jose Mourinho does not fake emotions
Ndidi needs time to settle – Drinkwater
Rafael Nadal confesses he wants Roger Federer to...
Sanchez Suffers Dislocated Ankle Tendons While On Chile...

Age controversy rocks Junior D’Tigers amid losses
Gift eyes more goals at WAFCON
Babajide relishes POTM honour
I want to leave records that will be hard to break – Ogazi
USA to host Joshua vs Fury match
Nigerian athletes blame jet lag for World U-20 performance
Why Gusau And The Present NFF Board Must Go!
Oshodi tips Africa’s young t’tennis stars for stardom
Why police ordered Abuja stadium closure
WAFU B U-20: Flying Eagles edge Ivory Coast 4-3 to reach final
Why I turned down Galatasaray’s number 9 shirt — Osimhen
Africa’s first Wheelchair Fencing Academy opens in Lagos
Rangers International going, going . . . (64,009 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,361 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (53,260 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,859 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,741 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,612 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,507 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (52,017 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (51,230 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,703 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (48,185 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,565 views)