The news of Roberto Firmino’s impending Liverpool exit couldn’t have been timed more poorly.
Reports that Firmino is set to leave the Reds at the end of season started to break on Friday afternoon. With Liverpool preparing for a huge clash with Manchester United at the weekend, Michael Brown told BBC Football Daily that the timing was completely inappropriate.
“What I don’t understand is why does it comes out now? Right on the eve of a huge game for them, why are we getting wind that he’s going to be leaving the football club? I just don’t get that one bit,” railed Brown.
Bobby not out to rock the boat
Brown, who had eight season in the Premier League as a player, will not have his view shared by many Liverpool fans.
Yes, the timing could have perhaps been better. But it isn’t as though Firmino’s decision to leave is a) a huge surprise or b) crucial to Liverpool in the immediate future.
Bobby is not a man who likes to do things in the limelight. This isn’t a Cristiano Ronaldo, Piers Morgan moment.
Maybe from the outside looking in it might appear to be a rocking of the boat. But Liverpool supporters certainly won’t, or certainly shouldn’t see it that way.
Firmino has earned the right to go out in any way that he sees fit. The 31-year-old is not one to cry and sulk about the perceived injustice of not being in the team all the time. There’s no worry at all of him disrupting others.
Instead, you can bet that Bobby will go quietly about his business just like usual. In fact, the news arriving right before a big game could even whip the crowd up as they come to terms with a hero leaving.
For now it seems as though Firmino is unlikely to start against United. But should he get on the pitch at any point, there will be a massive outpouring of love for the Brazlian.
In a big game, with margins tight, maybe that kind of feeling around the stadium and the team can just lift them that extra per cent. In addition to all that, it actually seems that Brown, bizarrely, might not have any clue what kind of player or person our No.9 is. During his conversation with the BBC, it becomes apparent that the 45-year-old believes Firmino to be a midfielder. Opinions invalidated.