Jurgen Klopp has already signed player for vital…

Jurgen Klopp has already signed player for vital Liverpool role Roberto Firmino has grown into

There is no question that a Jurgen Klopp Liverpool squad without Robert Firmino is going to feel very strange indeed. No player has made more appearances for the German in his managerial career and he is one of only four who have been with the Reds throughout Klopp’s tenure.

As a centre-forward who is just as happy (or happier?) to set up goals for his team-mates as he is to score himself, Firmino is approaching unique status. Where Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez all have a percentage of their Liverpool goal contributions through assists in the twenties, the Brazilian clocks in at 40 per cent.

While this makes him sound hard to replace – and that’s before we get to him leading the Reds’ press for many years – the truth is that he has fallen down the pecking order in the last 18 months. However, this has merely accentuated an aspect of his play which Liverpool will need to ensure they have available next season and beyond.

We’re talking about making an impact when joining the game from the bench. In the era of managers being able to make five substitutions, this role is more important than it has ever been in the past, and Firmino has often excelled at making his mark when given limited time.

As surreal as it was, the recent 7-0 win over Manchester United proved this theory to an absurd level. In his 11-minute cameo, Liverpool’s number nine recorded just three touches yet was still able to score a goal and provide an assist. Granted, there was a slice of fortune for the latter – an attempted clearance hit Firmino and fell to Salah – but it wouldn’t have occurred without the Brazilian being in the right place.

His strike to complete the scoring against United took Firmino to 14 goals from the bench for Liverpool, second only to legendary supersub David Fairclough in the all-time standings (per LFCHistory). Firmino's tally includes last-minute winners against Paris Saint-Germain and Monterrey, as well as goals to seal vital victories against Arsenal and Inter Milan.

The former Hoffenheim man also bagged the decisive goal to secure three points at Stoke in 2017, a crucial win in the race for Champions League qualification that year. History may yet repeat itself before his time with the Reds is up.

Aside from setting up Mane in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup final, Firmino’s assists from the bench haven’t usually carried as much weight as his goals. Nonetheless, with nine he has made 23 goal contributions from 73 sub appearances, just shy of a one-in-three rate when the run-outs lasted just 23 minutes on average.

Fortunately, Klopp may have the Firmino of the future in Fabio Carvalho. The Liverpool manager recently admitted the youngster was “not in a happy place at the moment” due to a lack of playing time, but summer departures should open further opportunities for him next season.

The 20-year-old has already contributed from the bench for the Reds, most notably with a last-gasp winner against Newcastle United back in August. Carvalho also netted as a substitute in the previous match – Liverpool’s record Premier League victory – and while it was not officially an assist, his shot at Old Trafford led to Salah halving the deficit there. That’s effectively three contributions in 10 cameo appearances, only one of which lasted longer than 19 minutes.

With other areas of the squad requiring more urgent investment, the Reds will benefit from not spending a huge sum on Firmino’s replacement. It was suggested when Carvalho joined that he might have eventually taken the place of the legendary Brazilian, and though that might be as a substitute rather than a starter initially in 2023/24, the former Fulham youngster looks to have the skills required for the role.

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