Daniel Sturridge has revealed how difficult it was to break into Liverpool’s front three in the early days of the Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino era.
The brilliant Reds striker helped the club win their sixth European Cup and subsequently ended a 30-year wait to become league champions. The famous trio scored 427 goals during their Anfield career. Salah will remain at the club and more players will be added to the list before the competition kicks off, but his partnership with Mane and Firmino will go down in Liverpool history.
Sturridge ended a six-and-a-half-year run in 2019, revealing the “original” trio were on fire and how the “chemistry” between them made them inseparable. “They are the best trio in that they get along,” Sturridge said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.@DanielSturridge on Salah, Mane and Firmino: “Probably the best trio when it comes to understanding each other.” pic.twitter.com/EXo2dh8UFK— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 6, 2023“You can still see Salah putting up numbers but I think they have a camaraderie where they all know where each other is going, the chemistry is there.”I was sitting on the couch.
Of course I wanted to go out, but I knew there was a boyish vibe. “Sometimes you just have to change something special.”The front three scored a combined 69 goals in all competitions in Sturridge’s final season at the club in 2018/19 and added a further 57 the following season as the Reds won the league title. Firmino has become an integral part of the well-oiled machine that sees Liverpool lift every possible trophy. This means that the former number 15 can only get a few minutes on the bench. Sturridge said Firmino is “perfect” for the false nine role in Jurgen Klopp’s side and his ability to counter-press makes him a difficult player to replace. “Counter-pressing is what Jurgen wanted us to do,” he continued.”I knew I was more of a dribbling guy when it came to counter-pressing. Bobby was perfect for the part and knowing that makes me invisible.
