Some Liverpool fans will regard Roberto Firmino as a ‘snake’ after his decision to leave the club on a free transfer.
That’s the view of West Ham United forward Michail Antonio. Speaking to the Footballer’s Football Podcast, Antonio gave his take on the news that Firmino is set to depart Liverpool at the end of the season.
“There is still going to be fans who are like ‘he’s a snake, he should stay’. Even though he hasn’t played as much this season, some fans who really like him, will be saying he’s a snake for leaving and he should be a squad player,” said the 32-year-old.
“And there will be other fans saying he’s rubbish, we should have got rid of him years ago. Then there will be people in the middle saying go flourish and enjoy your career.
“You’re always going to get three different ways that people are going to go.”
Antonio misses the mark
Generally speaking, Antonio is probably right. Nothing splits opinion in football quite like transfers. But in the case of Firmino and Liverpool, we think he’s missed the point a little.
In our experience, there isn’t a fan on the planet who isn’t wishing Bobby well. There are some, us included, who could see plenty of value in the Brazilian staying on for a year or two. But there’s certainly no ill feeling that Firmino has decided otherwise.
Instead, there’s a general acceptance that the timing is probably right for everyone. If fans are struggling to say goodbye to Bobby, it’s because of what the £29m man has given the club. If there are any supporters out there who consider him a ‘snake,’ then they really aren’t Liverpool supporters.
What lies in store for Firmino isn’t yet clear. Despite plenty of rumours that he’s joining this club or that club, the 31-year-old is reportedly yet to even speak to other potential suitors.
That’s how focused he is on ending things in the right way at Anfield. In an age where players often do anything possible to leave a team, the way Bobby has gone about things certainly isn’t taken for granted.
It was a similar story last year with the exit of Sadio Mane. Although Mane could have handled certain aspects a little more gracefully, the respect he has for Liverpool and its fans was always clear. As another legend leaves Anfield, supporters have every right to be upset. But that’s simply because we’re losing a universally popular player. The only thing ‘snake’ like about Bobby Firmino is the way he slinks through defences. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.