The Brazilian striker hit the ground running in the Middle East, but is now looking like a colossal waste of money
Roberto Firmino has never been fond of interviews, but he's just released a book about his eight-year stay at Anfield entitled 'Si Senor: My Liverpool Years'. The memoir sheds plenty of light on how he quickly went from an unwanted misfit during the final, dark days of Brendan Rodgers' reign to a key component in Jurgen Klopp's 'champions of everything', an immensely popular protagonist during a remarkable era of success for the Reds.
One wonders, though, if there will be a future follow-up on Firmino's spell in Saudi Arabia, because while it might not prove the "wonderful story" that the wrote at Liverpool, it would certainly make for a riveting read given mystery presently surrounds his sudden and dramatic dip in form at Al-Ahli.
Firmino was undeniably one of the Pro League's most high-profile summer signings – but also widely regarded as one of its most sensible. He may have been approaching 32, but this was not a striker who had ever relied on pace to prise open defences. He's always been as clever as they come.
Furthermore, Firmino has also long been considered the consummate professional, championed for his work ethic. The common consensus was that he still had enough left in the tank to propel his newly-promoted side towards the top of the table.
However, while Al-Ahli are going reasonably well, currently sitting fourth in the standings, Firmino looks gassed, with years of relentless pressing having seemingly taken their toll on a forward that was renowned as much for his industry as his ingenuity.
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Hat-trick hero
The strange thing is, though, Firmino could not have made a better start to his Al-Ahli career. After an amusing 'no-look' contract signing – a nod to his impressive ability to know where both the goal and his team-mates are at all times – and a pre-season spent showcasing just how seriously he was taking training, Firmino further endeared himself to his new club's fans by hitting a hat-trick on his league debut, in a 3-1 win over Al-Hazm on August 11.
At that stage, talk of a title challenge didn't seem so fanciful. Al-Ahli hadn't just signed Firmino, after all; they'd also landed two other Premier League players, Riyad Mahrez and Allan Saint-Maximin, to play alongside him.
The midfield, meanwhile, had been significantly strengthened by the hugely impressive acquisition of two players that still have their best years ahead of them, in Franck Kessie, a âŹ12.5 million (ÂŁ10.9m/$13.3m) signing from Barcelona, and Gabri Veiga, the Celta Vigo prodigy considered one of Spain's brightest prospects.
As for the defence, Edouard Mendy arrived from Chelsea to protect a back four set to be built around Roger Ibanez and Merih Demiral, who had joined from Roma and Atalanta, respectively.
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Failing to click with Mahrez and Saint-Maximin
However, while some of Al-Ahli's star names are living up to their lofty reputations – most notably Mahrez and Kessie – Firmino is floundering. The former Selecao star hasn't scored since his opening-round treble, and while a 10-game goal drought might not be too shocking for a forward that was never particularly prolific at Liverpool, his lack of energy and endeavour is jarring.
At the peak of his powers, Firmino was never still. By his own admission, he had no off button on the field. There was no better player at defending from the front, perhaps because he played at the back up until Under-18s level.
In addition, when he wasn't hassling and harrying defenders, he was selflessly pulling them out of position with his intelligent movement. In that respect, he was the perfect player to play off, a typically technically brilliant Brazilian blessed with a unique talent for creating both space and goals for others. As Jurgen Klopp said, there was no point in Liverpool trying to find a Firmino replacement during the summer because "nobody can do [that false nine role] like Bobby."
The expectancy was, then, that Firmino would prove a formidable foil for both Mahrez and Saint-Maximin; that he would bring the very best out of two talented widemen, in much the say way he had at Anfield when deployed between Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. Firmino, though, has managed just two Pro League assists to date and is bizarrely struggling to play any meaningful role in the team's build-up play.
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Fans frustrated
The general lack of fluidity and cohesion in Al-Ahli's game can be partially attributed to the fact that coach Matthias Jaissle only took over at the end of July, a fortnight before the start of the season, because of the protracted and acrimonious nature of the German's break-up with Red Bull Salzburg.
The absence of a proper pre-season meant it was always going to take time for the team to get fully used to Jaissle's methods. However, it's not as if the manager hasn't been patient with Firmino. Indeed, there were calls from some supporters for the attacker to be dropped long before he was finally benched for last week's meeting with Al-Riyadh.
And now, what's really worrying for Firmino, is that Al-Ahli looked like a better, more balanced side without him in the starting line-up.
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Not just fatigued – but finished?
His replacement, the exciting 23-year-old Saudi Arabia striker Firas Al-Buraikan, opened the scoring from a Saint-Maximin pass, before then teeing up Veiga to open his Pro League account. Mahrez subsequently put the seal on a win in which all four of Al-Ahli's attackers were directly involved in a goal – which spells nothing but trouble for Firmino.
Calls for the Anfield icon to be sold during the January transfer window are unlikely to be heeded. As it stands, Al-Ahli have no intention of giving up on Firmino just yet. There have been no complaints over his attitude or application.
It's clear, though, that a massive improvement is required if he is to make it into the second year of a lucrative three-year contract. There is a fear among the fans, though, that Firmino isn't just fatigued, but finished.