"He's not been a regular" - Jamie Carragher defends Roberto Firmino

Former Liverpool centre-back Jamie Carragher has defended Reds forward Roberto Firmino.

The Brazil international started against Fulham at Craven Cottage last weekend, but he failed to have an impact.

Firmino was replaced by Darwin Nunez 51 minutes into the Premier League fixture.

Some Liverpool fans took to Twitter to criticise the 30-year-old post-game.

However, Carragher believes that Firmino did not deserved to be lambasted.

“He’s not been a regular in the team now for probably over 12 months since maybe Diogo Jota came in and Sadio Mane went through the middle towards the end of last season as well," he told Sky Sports.

“You can’t be too critical of Bobby Firmino, certainly for what he’s done and the miles he’s put in for this club.

“Of course Liverpool have bought Darwin Nunez for a reason and I’m sure he’ll be playing on Monday night (against Crystal Palace at Anfield) and Bobby I’m sure will be more of a squad player from now and towards the end of the season but I’m sure he’ll play a huge part."

Anfield Watch Verdict

We completely agree with Carragher's take. Firmino was a squad payer for the entire 2021-22 campaign.

The forward only made 35 appearances for Liverpool's first-team last season. Firmino is also 30 years of age.

Therefore, the Brazil international isn't going to be as sharp as he once was.

It would be fair to assume that Firmino played on the weekend simply because Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is giving Nunez time to adapt to his new environment.

So, over time, we will see Firmino return to the bench and Nunez become a regular in Klopp's starting XI.

The German certainly did not sign the Uruguay international to sit on the bench. Nunez cost the club £85 million after all.