As the final whistle blew on Liverpool’s 3-1 win over West Ham on Sunday afternoon, Clinton Morrison was asked on Radio 5 Live not about Mo Salah’s magnificent finishes or about the impact of Curtis Jones but about Roberto Firmino.
Firmino had only played the final 21 minutes and Liverpool were already two up when he came on. But discussing his impact was irresistible. With six minutes to go, the Brazilian had set up a goal for Georginio Wijnaldum that, though uncomplicated in its execution, was a perfect example of why, when he is in form, Liverpool are just better.
Morrison’s response to the inquiry about Liverpool’s No.9 was simple, but in a single sentence he got to the crux of why Firmino excels; why what he does, and perhaps more pertinently, where he does it, is so effective.
“He drops off,” said Morrison, “and the defenders don’t know whether to follow him or not.”
It reminded me of a conversation I had had a few weeks prior with my grandad. As normal, our chat swiftly veered towards football. Yet rather than dwell on the fortunes of his beloved Barnsley, he brought up a game he was at almost 70 years ago.
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