Football world is all fame-driven. The players themselves thrive on reputation. Although the elite players have it both ways. They get slated in the media at the first sign of a drop in level which is cruel but they get all the praise when they do something as ordinary as passing the ball across 10 yards uninterrupted.
It’s interesting in this case when you look at German midfielder Mesut Ozil, someone that has plied his trade at Real Madrid, firmly establishing himself as a world-class footballer in the process and arguably the best number 10 right now. He’s had a difficult initiation to the Premier League in that he was often accused by football fans of vanishing or failing to influence in big games – quite stepped up to the level this season he was expected to play to – week in week out.
The German, bought for a club record fee of £42.5 million, has produced 18 assists so far this campaign topping the charts in league in both key passes and number of clear cut chances created. His goal involvement stands at a remarkable 102 mins per goal/assist justifying his ‘world class’ billing. But what is more interesting is that Liverpool’s new signing – the Brazilian Firmino, has been equally influential for Jurgen Klopp’s side, if not more.
24-year-old Firmino has been quietly going about his business at Liverpool, playing a vital role in the side’s resurgence under the German manager. He has scored 8 goals and created 7 more taking his goal involvement tally to 15 and what is more impressive is their frequency. He’s been directly involved in a goal (scored himself or assisted), every 104 minutes in the league which is utterly fantastic when the fact that this is his first season for a team that is going through a serious transition is factored in.
Not to mention, the versatility of Roberto Firmino comes in handy and the defensive numbers he has produced under Klopp makes a case for him why he should be more recognised by both the media and the neutral supporters. It is also noteworthy that out of the nine goals he’s scored in all competitions for the Reds, 5 have come against Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United. This is a phenomenal record for a player still getting to grips with the country and the culture.
Clear-cut chances are a key statistic when looking at creativity and Firmino is joint 4th in the league with 9 clear-cut chances created. A clear-cut chance is a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score usually in a one-on-one scenario or from very close range.
For £29 million, Liverpool have got themselves a top prospect – who can still improve and add more goals to his game, which on the surface, is scary. It’s only fair that his staggeringly good exploits on the pitch gets the adulation it commands off it.
