Roberto Firmino was never the loudest part of Liverpool’s great attacking machine, and that was probably the point. Mohamed Salah had the records, Sadio Mané had the explosiveness, Virgil van Dijk had the aura and Trent Alexander-Arnold had the creative range from deep. Firmino’s value was different. He was the player who stitched the attack... Continue Reading →

There are players whose value announces itself through numbers, highlights and individual awards. Park Ji-sung’s value lived somewhere quieter. It was in the passing lane he closed before it became dangerous, the full-back he protected before the overload arrived, the midfielder he harassed until the rhythm disappeared. He was not Manchester United’s most gifted player,... Continue Reading →