Shaqiri shows Firmino how he did in Liverpool’s win over West Ham

Calls for Liverpool to eliminate Roberto Firmino based on his recent scoring record don’t make much sense: goals are not the currency of his value. However, more credibility can be given to those whose claims are based on their weakened creative spark. Pjointly after a 2-1 Liverpool win which saw Xherdan Shaqiri produce exactly the kind of hand game we expected from the Brazilian, but was again lacking before being replaced.

Liverpool got off to a bad start at Anfield; West Ham took the lead after ten minutes.

Angelo Ogbonna’s first pass to Jarrod Bowen to start the attack was excellent, but he would not have reached his mark if Fabinho had been playing. It’s exactly the kind of pass that the brilliant Brazilian nonchalantly turns off and recycles when playing in midfield.

Instead, Liverpool midfield three of Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and Curtis Jones found themselves ahead of the ball. Bowen, without pressure, swept the ball wide before Joe Gomez directed Arthur Masuaku’s cross directly to Pablo Fornals.

The Spaniard’s half-volley side shot off the post was wonderful, but it was an opportunity that shouldn’t have been. Gomez, lowering the bomb to prove he can be Liverpool’s first and second fiddler, failed an early test. He was solid at it.

The praise for David Moyes’ organizational skills and West Ham’s defensive drive are predictable and well founded – their setup and bonding made it difficult for Liverpool. But it is the transition, clearly visible for the goal, that sets this West Ham team apart from others who simply put bodies in the way and hope for the best.

Moyes’ team doesn’t rely on good luck, a bad day for a bigger team, or a moment of individual brilliance to secure a result they could easily have gotten from Anfield. There is a clear directive to try to build from positions of potential conflict; the manager deserves a lot of credit.

Rarely is the ball placed aimlessly; there’s a serenity of mind when they regain possession in their own half, with evidence of building that through a horrible series of games against superior teams. Declan Rice is the key to this – he just keeps getting better and better and continues to exhibit a level of authority well beyond his tender age.

Liverpool’s preparation game was orderly but stunted: a series of clean passes ended in a poorly placed or poorly weighted one. They had not had a target shot before being granted a ticket to the game.

It’s impossible to believe that any defense would try to steal the ball from Mo Salah in the box. The Egyptian had his back to the goal when Masuaku’s attempt to dispossess him saw Salah fall. It was a foolish and unnecessary challenge, rightly given as a punishment that was duly converted by Salah.

The second half saw a similar pattern to the first: lack of cut and push to Liverpool; solid defense and attentive attack from West Ham.

That was until Xherdan Shaqiri and Diogo Jota were introduced with twenty minutes to go, to change the method, point and power of Liverpool’s attack.

They thought they had the lead with ten minutes to play. West Ham sent bodies forward en masse for the first time in the half, only for Liverpool to strike back with predictable poison. Jota had the ball in the net only to see it discarded after Kevin Friend consulted the court monitor.

There was offside speculation, with a question about whether Mane or Ogbonna made the final touch, then whether Ogbonna showed intent to play the ball. In the end, it seems that it was annulled for a foul. I say “show up” because we don’t know, irritatingly we are not aware of those VAR conversations. Which also means no Really know if it has been annulled for a foul on the defender or the goalkeeper. It was probably both, really.

But Jota did have his goal moments later. His run back was well timed and the ending cute, but Shaqiri deserves most of the credit. He picked up that position, under clear orders from Klopp to do so, in front of defense and behind midfield – the dominance that Firmino normally pursues and is the master – to control the ball with one touch and perform a perfectly weighted and disguised nutmeg pass with One second, through the Jota running.

It was Shaqiri at his best, who at this moment is better than Firmino, who is near his worst. Even geniuses need to rest every now and then. Firmino needs one now.

Will ford is on twitter