One regular starter for Liverpool has been accused of ‘complacency’ amid a ‘desperately poor’ season for him and the team as a whole.
Competiton for places on the left-hand side of attack was lessened by the sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich last summer, with Cody Gakpo duly becoming a near-constant presence in the Reds’ starting XI.
The emergence of Rio Ngumoha has led to calls for the teenage starlet to be utilised more often, and his more experienced counterpart – who’s netted just eight times in his last 42 appearances – has been the subject of fierce criticism throughout the campaign.
In a Q&A for the Liverpool Echo, Paul Gorst was asked why the 26-year-old continues to be selected despite his mediocre form this season.
The journalist replied: ‘Cody Gakpo has had a desperately poor season and looks so short of confidence and belief, but you also have to question if the Netherlands winger became complacent due to the lack of competition for a spot on that left side of the attack?
‘Only Rio Ngumoha is a serious option for that position and having a relatively untried 17-year-old as your main deputy might naturally lead to that sort of complacency setting in.’
Gorst has also cautiously made the case for Ngumoha to see more game-time in the final few weeks of the season, saying: ‘As the campaign has wore on, it’s become clear that Ngumoha would provide an extra injection of speed and trickery that Gakpo simply hasn’t been able to this season.
‘I’d expect a few more outings for Ngumoha between now and the end of the season but Liverpool need to be careful not to overburden someone who doesn’t turn 18 until the end of August.’
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Gakpo might’ve begun the campaign as the Reds’ obvious first-choice on the left flank, but his poor scoring return – allied with the eye-catching effervesence of Ngumoha – means that he should no longer feel guaranteed of his place in the starting XI.
Accusing a footballer of not giving 100% ought not to be done lightly, and we don’t believe for a second that the Dutchman isn’t trying on the pitch or that his heart isn’t it. Rather, he looks bereft of confidence and is too predictable in his play, being all too easily snuffed out by opposition defenders.
The 26-year-old has started every Premier League match since the 2-2 draw at Fulham in early January, but after scoring what had looked like a stoppage-time winner that day until Harrison Reed’s last-gasp leveller, he’s netted just once more in the top flight (against West Ham last month).
Had Diaz still been at Liverpool, it seems almost certain that Gakpo wouldn’t have enjoyed such a prolonged run of starts with such a meagre goal return, but Ngumoha’s excellent displays have intensified the competition for places once again.
The Netherlands international really needs a strong finish to the season to fend off some of the criticism which has been levelled at him, but he’s shown in the past that he’s capable of enjoying hot scoring streaks. Another one after Easter would be most welcome.
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He can be backup striker but not the left attacker. Else he should be sold.
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