They arrived to begin bidding farewell to pillars of a glorious past. But as they filed away from Anfield, the delighted home supporters will have departed with hope of a new player in which to invest hope of an encouraging future.
While two extremes of experience combined to help ease the pressure on beleaguered Reds boss Arne Slot and bolster claims for Champions League qualification, it was Rio Ngumoha who provided the much-needed spark of excitement among the fanbase.
The 17-year-old winger, making only his second Premier League start, provided the deserved breakthrough against a dangerous Fulham in what is fast becoming trademark fashion.
Always willing to run at the visiting defence, that policy paid dividends in spectacular fashion nine minutes before the interval.
Drifting into the box off the left wing after accepting a pass from Florian Wirtz, the twinkle-toed Ngumoha sent Timothy Castagne this way and that before curling a brilliant finish into the bottom corner.
In doing so, he became Liverpool’s youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer at a hugely-appreciative Anfield who have embraced the teenager ever since his first outing 15 months ago. In a campaign of little joy, Ngumoha has been a rare delight.
A few moments later, the winger was again involved, this time playing the ball into the area for Cody Gakpo to tee up Mohamed Salah for Liverpool’s second goal.
This was the Reds’ first home game since Salah and Andy Robertson confirmed their departures on free transfers at the end of the season, the recalled duo having their respective chants aired by the Kop inside the first minute.
Both did well and had chances in the opening quarter, Robertson having a shot blocked while Salah saw an angled effort beaten out by Bernd Leno before later being hounded out from close range.
But it was Ngumoha who shone brightest, the ovation on his replacement midway through the second half richly-merited.
Slot has been wise to hold back the youngster given Liverpool’s travails. The question now, though, is how much of a part the winger should be given during the closing weeks as the Reds look to salvage something tangible from such a difficult campaign.
And the most immediate decision is whether Ngumoha can be a wildcard as Liverpool look to complete an unlikely Champions League recovery against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. On this evidence, why not?
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Ian Doyle has covered Liverpool for more than 25 years, following them across Europe in multiple Champions League and Europa League finals and as far afield as Thailand, Singapore, the United States, Hong Kong and Qatar, and has reported on the Reds winning every major honour. He previously also covered Everton for 18 years and has followed England, reporting on the European Championships and World Cup final. Once had to tell Jude Law he does not drive a Mini.
