Rio Ngumoha’s time is now - but is Cody Gakpo as much of a problem as Liverpool fans make out?

There was 1 deafening communicative that prevailed from Liverpool’s scrappy precocious triumph astatine Nottingham Forest: commencement Rio Ngumoha, please and convey you.

“Ngumoha did much successful 15 minutes than (Mohamed) Salah and (Cody) Gakpo did successful nan full crippled earlier that,” Jamie Carragher asserted aft full-time astatine nan City Ground. The electrifying 17-year-old had travel disconnected nan chair pinch his broadside sluggish and drafting pinch a nine successful nan heavy of a relegation battle, and provided much attacking impetus than immoderate of his much elder colleagues managed successful nan 77 minutes anterior to his introduction. His effect was undeniable.

Carragher’s plea was thing but a basking take. Fans and pundits echoed nan call for Ngumoha’s emergence up nan pecking order, but nan teenager’s promotion into nan starting XI will request a sacrifice. That, for Reds supporters, seems a no-brainer - and it’s not nan Egyptian who felt he’d been “thrown nether nan bus” 3 months ago.

Cody Gakpo has been 1 of, if not nan autumn feline of Liverpool’s dismal title defence. Half of a near flank that has been afloat of problems this season, Gakpo is regularly nan taxable of wide online instrumentality resentment, perceived a blatant anemic constituent of an imperfect team.

Arne Slot, however, has not budged complete 1 of his much favoured starters, to nan wrath of this vocal conception of nan fanbase. The Dutch winger has started 29 retired of his 35 appearances successful each competitions nether his countryman this word and boasts astir minutes of immoderate guardant successful nan Liverpool squad.

Ngumoha’s cameo astatine Forest has erstwhile again stoked disapproval against Slot’s action choices vis-a-vis Gakpo, deemed a blockage to nan pathway a late-summer transportation determination was meant to provide for nan youngster. But is nan scathing power really warranted, aliases is Gakpo really conscionable a scapegoat?

It’s important to statement that sentiment towards nan winger has undoubtedly been overblown by nan toxicity of shot societal media. A batch of match-going fans, while disappointment by his downturn successful performances this term, are not this viscerally enraged by Gakpo’s continued involvement.

You don’t request to scope that constituent of extremities to merit being benched, of people - and nan lawsuit for specified a demotion is decidedly there.

His play-style has been nan first constituent of attack. The statement that Gakpo is simply a “one-dimensional” footballer is utilized connected a play ground by his critics. His trademark strategy - trim successful from nan near and sprout pinch his correct - has go painfully predictable from a viewing position and a elemental trial for immoderate master right-back who has studied his lucifer footage.

Persistence would beryllium justified by results but, connected nan surface, results are non-existent. Looking astatine his changeable representation this term, not a azygous 1 of his 5 Premier League goals has travel from nan left, contempt him firing 40 shots disconnected his designated flank. The immense mostly of efforts are either blocked aliases missed, pinch only 7 posing existent threat to nan goal; 5 were saved, while 2 deed nan post.

His conversion complaint - importantly down from past play - has bully logic to beryllium maligned. What Gakpo doesn’t get in installments for, however, is forcing nan issue.

Something Liverpool person lacked this play is urgency going forward. It’s portion of nan logic why their expected goals (xG) per 90 has almost halved compared to 2024/25. Gakpo is not portion of nan xG problem.

The 26-year-old fires disconnected nan 2nd astir shots per 90 (2.76) retired of immoderate Liverpool subordinate who has featured for complete 1,000 minutes this term, only down summertime enlistee Hugo Ekitike, who has comparably been hailed arsenic a revelation astatine Anfield - and rightly so. With only a fistful of strikes to his name, it’s truthful nary astonishment that Gakpo is underperforming his xG, whose extremity merchandise has a batch to beryllium desired. But for what it’s worth, astatine slightest he’s getting into positions wherever he tin propulsion nan trigger.

Moreover, Gakpo possesses a domiciled successful Slot’s setup that is important to build-up. At astir nan halfway shape of this season, he was successful nan 90th percentile among wingers for progressive passes received per 90. Slot’s strategy funnels nan shot to him much than almost anyone other connected nan pitch, which has fixed him nan scope to create an mean of 1.88 chances per 90, much than nan likes of top-six attacking counterparts Leandro Trossard, Matheus Cunha and Pedro Neto. But it should beryllium higher.

His walk completion complaint ranks comparatively low, demonstrating that he is not nan correct floor plan for this position. He is simply a finisher, not a creator, and it’s logical mentation why his “cut successful and shoot” often ensues erstwhile he receives nan ball. He doesn’t person nan method attributes to advancement play further.

So while Gakpo is simply a problem, it isn’t needfully his fault. He has been shoehorned into a domiciled that doesn’t suit nan player. It doesn’t suit Federico Chiesa either, who has agelong been promoted by fans arsenic a tin alternative.

Maybe Ngumoha, a imaginable compared to Neymar during his younker days, is nan answer. The erstwhile Chelsea youngster has that spark that Liverpool fans person yearned for since past summer’s departure of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich, who contempt his ain finishing shortfalls offered a wow facet that Gakpo does not.

However, nan load of a domiciled that Gakpo is intelligibly struggling successful could beryllium excessively overmuch for a subordinate successful nan embryonic stages of his elder career. Ngumoha wouldn’t conscionable beryllium required to fearlessly thrust astatine guidance defenders for illustration he loves to do; per Slot’s system, he would beryllium astatine nan bosom of passing play and build-up.

It whitethorn beryllium excessively much, excessively soon - but that should not extremity Slot from rolling nan dice. The Reds head was blameworthy of changing excessively overmuch past summertime erstwhile “if it ain’t broke” astir apt should’ve been nan mantra for his title-winning side. It’s evident he now has thing to fix.