Liverpool have built a true 360-degree footballerFirmino Said

Five years ago, when Liverpool signed Roberto Firmino, the man who was tasked with deploying him on the pitch didn't quite appear to appreciate him as a player. Brendan Rodgers used the Brazilian in a variety of different positions, as Firmino failed to complete 90 minutes in the Premier League under the Northern Irishman, and accumulated a total of 240 minutes from a possible 540.

Firmino looked a relatively strange player and definitely an odd tactical fit in the Liverpool set-up at the time. Under Jürgen Klopp, however, he has since developed into one of the most unorthodox strikers in world football. Firmino has an alternative profile in comparison to his peers, as he possesses plenty of qualities that are commonly associated with traditional defensive midfielders rather than attackers. The 28 year-old is hard-working, industrious and relentless without the ball, which is largely why he is ideally suited to Klopp's intense brand of football. He is also inclined to operate as a pivot of sorts that others move and rotate around, a centrepiece for others to use as a reference point. Fabinho is established as the team's no.6, but a variety of his duties are executed higher up the field by Firmino, too.

Firmino's passing sonar for the current campaign is pictured below. The graphic captures how his passing combinations are evenly distributed across 360-degrees, which is not common at all for other strikers.

As a consequence of operating as the most advanced players in their team, strikers are mostly unable to feed players ahead of them and are forced to pass backwards or sideways. Jamie Vardy's passing sonar is pictured below for context, with the majority of his passes played towards midfield simply because he's usually closer to goal than any of his teammates.

Some 31 strikers have amassed over 1,000 minutes in the Premier League this season, with Firmino top for passes per 90, through passes per 90, and passes to the final third per 90. The Liverpool forward also tops the table for progressive passes per 90, which is loosely defined as a pass that moves the ball considerably forward, and he places first for expected assists (xA) per 90.

Firmino's responsibilities, curiously, are perhaps more comparable to Fabinho's than Vardy's, yet he is able to thrive in advanced areas because of the functional nature of the system that Klopp has created over the course of his tenure. The Brazil international is able to play his natural game by closing down and duelling with opponents while offering a glue of sorts in the final-third, before supplying the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané with opportunities to score. His actions tend to drift under the radar because of how unselfish he is deemed to be, yet only two players from the sample of strikers are shooting more often than his 3.02 attempts per 90, with those being Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus.

Ultimately, Firmino has developed into such a strong all-rounder in more ways than one, which is perhaps best illustrated by the circular essence of his passing sonar. He contributes in a variety of different areas and has a role that is tailored to suit his skillset, as he is encouraged to progress moves while actively chasing the ball whenever it is lost.

Rather than remaining an odd fit, Liverpool's no.9 has evolved, and has become an incredibly unique striker whose greatest attributes are arguably most regularly mimicked by footballers who operate much close to their own goal.