Rivaldo: I could have matched Firmino goal haul at Man Utd

Brazil legend Rivaldo thinks he could have matched Roberto Firmino’s achievements at Liverpool if he had signed for Manchester United.

The 27-year-old is not the traditional Brazil forward; he does have touches of flamboyance and superb vision but he melds that with an incredible work rate and an appetite for tackling back and retrieving possession.

He sets the tone for the high-tempo, high press manager Jurgen Klopp demands and probably more than any other player in the squad is irreplaceable because of his unique characteristics.

Firmino is also not goal-shy, with his strike in the 3-0 win at Burnley – having pressured Ben Mee into making a mistake for the second goal which he set up – making him the first Brazilian to 50 Premier League goals.

However, Rivaldo reckons he could have “achieved something similar” to Firmino if he had signed for United, who he was linked with.

“Roberto Firmino has become the first Brazilian player to reach 50 goals on Premier League and I must congratulate him for that achievement,” Barcelona great Rivaldo told Betfair.

“He is a player of great personality, with a particular taste for scoring goals and also very clever on his movements near the opposite goal.

“He didn’t play in the starting 11 at the last World Cup but looks like he will have a good chance of starring for his country in 2022 because he is a top forward.

“Perhaps if I had signed for Manchester United when I had the opportunity, I could have achieved something similar to what Firmino is doing at Liverpool.

“Of course, it would depend on the time spent there. But I did shape my style from a creative player, who only assisted others, into someone who could also score regularly.

“In five seasons with Barcelona I scored 130 goals, so why couldn’t I have scored 50 or so in England? I think it would have been possible after four or five seasons there.”

 

Click Here: kanken kids cheap