Former Liverpool defender Phil Babb believes Roberto Firmino was unfit when he first arrived at Anfield and is still not up to the demands of Premier League football.

Firmino was snapped up by Liverpool from Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim in the summer, but has taken time to get going in English football.




The Brazilian clocked up 64 minutes in Liverpool's 1-0 win against Swansea City yesterday, with Babb watching on.

Babb believes that Firmino has been carrying extra weight and questioned his fitness. The former defender thinks that as a result the midfielder is struggling to reach the standards demanded by the Premier League.
 


The former Red told LFC TV: "My concern is when he first joined he looked unfit. He didn't have any sharpness, a little bit of timber around the midriff.

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"He's lost a little bit of that, but I still think his fitness levels aren't to the level the Premier League demands", Babb added.

Since joining Liverpool, Firmino has pulled on the red shirt on 16 occasions in all competitions. The Brazilian has scored once and provided his team-mates with four assists.

Firmino was in superb form in Liverpool's 4-1 thrashing of Manchester City earlier this month and received plaudits for his performance at the Etihad Stadium.