He's The Complete Footballer - Klopp Hails The "Front Three"
In the second part of our exclusive interview, the Liverpool manager eulogises about his feared attacking trio.
Few frontlines in world football are as glorified than that of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. The attacking triumvirate has accounted for 49 goals in all competitions this season as Liverpool have continued to excel under the tutelage of Jurgen Klopp.
25 points clear at the top of the Premier League, it is they who have spearheaded the Reds’ relentless quest to be crowned champions of England and grabbed crucial goals that have ensured victory more often than not.
Collectively known as the ‘front three’ Klopp reserved special praise for the “outstanding talent” of Firmino, Mane and Salah when he recently spoke to beIN SPORTS.
On Firmino
Having signed shortly before the German’s arrival in 2015, Firmino was already a familiar face having played against Borussia Dortmund for Hoffenheim.
Klopp revealed he tried to lure the Brazilian to Signal Iduna Park previously, but a lack of transfer funds scuppered any potential deal. He said: “We would have been in the race with Liverpool to sign him but the price was not very expensive from an English perspective.
“When I came here I was really looking forward to work together with him and then it was absolutely great and he's now the complete footballer. He is everything you need and there's great skill.
On paper, Firmino’s goal return of 11 in 2019-20 is a distant third to Mane and Salah’s tallies. But the timing of his strikes have been crucial and decided many a contest, including the FIFA Club World Cup where his match-winners against Monterrey and Flamengo ultimately secured the trophy for Liverpool in Qatar.
Klopp effused the all-round efforts of his No.9 and added: “Apart from all the technical skills, it’s his awareness of the situation. He sees things earlier than other people and so that helps a lot for his partners around him.
On Mane
After a stellar 12 months that saw Mane claim the African Player of the Year for 2019, Mane has continued to dazzle in Liverpool red. The Senegalese international’s 18 goals have included huge match-winners of their own with strikes against Aston Villa and Manchester City among the highlights.
When asked about Mane’s claims for individual honours this time around, Klopp was unsure due to the depth of quality that exists in his own side. He said: “In England obviously we have a few options and with the boys playing a sensational season.
“So, I can't see anybody else even with other players from other teams like Kevin De Bruyne, and he is an outstanding player, but hopefully if this season will be decided then Sadio Mane would be a good choice, absolutely.”
On Salah
Since joining from Roma in 2017, Salah has far exceeded the expectations of Liverpool fans and perhaps Klopp also. After a stunning 44-goal debut season in 2017-18, the Egyptian has helped propel the Reds to new heights and gained plaudits from his manager who regards him as “exceptional.”
Having kept close tabs on Salah since his time at Basel, Klopp knew what he needed to take his team to the next level and the No.11 was the ideal target. He said: “In the year before Mo Salah joined us Sadio Mane played the right-wing and the left-wing was Phillipe Coutinho or another player.
“But we knew we needed options, and we needed speed and Mo Salah is exceptional. Not many players have the speed and the technical ability, and an ability to score goals, that makes him then really special."
Klopp also reserved special praise for Salah’s standing as a role model to Muslims across the globe: “It was really not difficult to help him because he is a professional sensational boy, as well as a really good ambassador for the whole Arabic world so I'm really happy to have him around.”
