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John Barnes backs Liverpool star Roberto Firmino to start vs Manchester City
Liverpool legend John Barnes believes Roberto Firmino should come back into the Reds’ starting XI to face Manchester City on Sunday.
The Brazilian was benched by Jurgen Klopp last night in the Champions League against Atalanta, with his replacement Diogo Jota hitting a stunning hat-trick.
Firmino has often been questioned in recent times.
The South American is seen as the man who allows Sadio Mane and Mo Salah to score so many goals, but his own output is not sparkling – this term, he’s scored just the once in 10 appearances.
Jota’s three-goal haul will certainly put into contention for Sunday, but Barnes reckons Klopp should go with the under-fire Firmino.
: “Jota scored a hat-trick, but that doesn’t mean he automatically goes into the team against Man City.
“I think who plays depends on what the games are and who they’re against and how that team plays.
“Against Man City, where you’re not going to have as much possession, maybe Firmino will be a better bet. You need a player like Bobby Firmino to not only get hold of the ball but also do his defensive work.”
TBR’s View – A headache Klopp won’t admit
After last night’s game, Klopp played down the potential battle for minutes between Jota and Firmino, but it has to be a difficult situation for the manager.
He’s been so loyal to Firmino, but what Jota is doing right now is very difficult to ignore.
Liverpool face the country’s second-best team this weekend and the idea of leaving Firmino out will not be a nice one for Klopp.
That said, Jota is also a fantastic presser and so the in-form star may well get the nod.