Klopp: "I have no idea how many goals Firmino has scored"
Jürgen Klopp says he has lost count and besides, he has no interest in how many goals Roberto Firmino has scored for Liverpool this season.
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp insisted he had no idea, and has little interest in how many goals Roberto Firmino had contributed to the side this season after the Brazilian bagged a brace against Swansea on Boxing Day.
I want Liverpool to play as a team, says Klopp
Firmino struck twice in his side's 5-0 thrashing of bottom-placed Swansea at Anfield to take his tally in the Premier League to nine this season. But Klopp said he had no interest in the numbers, highlighting Firmino's second goal – a tap in from a Mohamed Salah pass – as an example of how he wants his team to play.
"I am happy for all of the boys when they score but I couldn't say how many he has or how many he has. I don't care, to be honest, it's not in my interest," he said. "If we play like we play in the good moments then the boys will be in different situations and it'll be easy to score, like the second goal of Roberto. I could have scored in this situation. That's what you have to do, you have to work for that and everybody could see Mo was not the happiest person in the stadium when we took him off, but at least I have to stay kind of reasonable or serious or whatever because there's a lot of games to come."
Salah has 15 league goals and five assists this season, while Firmino (nine goals) and Philippe Coutinho (seven) have also impressed. But Klopp said the performances were far more important as he lauded Bobby Firmino for his contribution throughout the campaign.
"They all will score goals. Sadio [Mané] did not play, but he will score if we play like this, if we bring the different players, in the different moments in the situation," Klopp continued. "Roberto, I appreciate always his effort and his performance, that he scores twice, I'm happy about that but I could not say how many goals he has scored so far in the season because I feel he is always involved, he is always in and around the really dangerous situations for the opponent. First half, he helped left full-back to right full-back, he was everywhere. In the end he scored two goals, so that's nice."