Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is adamant Rio Ngmoha should be in the starting line-up after his brilliant cameo against Wolves – and Codi Gakpo is the man to replace him.
Steven Gerrard has named the attacking changes he would like to see at Liverpool (Image: TNT Sports)
Manager Steven Gerrard has urged Arne Slott to sack Codi Gakpo and bring in Liverpool youngster Rio Ngmoha, who has “achieved more in a short amount of time” than the Dutchman from the bench.
The teenager continued to blossom at Anfield and enjoyed a breakthrough moment earlier this season when he scored the winning goal late on against Newcastle. He joined Wolves and immediately became a serious threat, despite Liverpool losing in the closing stages.
Ngumoha had one shot that was pushed into the post, while he also had a great effort for Virgil van Dijk, who should have had more of his headers. And now Gerrard wants to see the 17-year-old get a rare start when the Reds take on Wolves in the FA Cup.
The Reds icon told TNT Sports: “Liverpool were hopeless for 65 minutes tonight, they were really poor, they didn’t have enough creativity, they didn’t play with the right speed, they didn’t play with the right tempo, they didn’t have enough quality.
“He has to start Gumoha now. He has to start because he’s coming on and he’s done more in a short cameo in a short amount of time than Gakpo did in 65 or 70 minutes. “He deserves to start now. He’s got to start this kid on Friday night (in the FA Cup).”
read more: Virgil van Dijk furious after losing Champions League chance to Liverpool team-mates against Wolvesread more: Wolves stun Liverpool late on as Arne Slott’s side missed golden chances – 5 talking points
Slott has previously cautioned about Ngmoha’s development, insisting he is getting the playing time he needs at his age. Despite the bright name of Gakpo, Liverpool’s front line has struggled this season, unable to achieve double-digit hits despite being a regular.
Gerrard also criticized his former club’s performance, particularly in the opening 45 minutes, as their Champions League hopes suffered another blow against Molineux, criticizing their defensive weaknesses and lack of attacking productivity. He said: “The first half[against Wolves]was completely wasted from Liverpool’s point of view. There was no sense of urgency, there was no change in ball speed going into the last third of the pitch, there wasn’t much quality or penetration.”
Rio Ngmoha was Liverpool’s standout player off the bench despite losing against Wolves
“The other thing is they have to stop conceding really bad goals. It was a basic ball to the target man and it was a focal point. When you get two-on-one you have to deal with it and then you have a chance to make a last tackle that they didn’t make. Then the second goal was a poor clearance from the goalkeeper and he didn’t react.”
“If they want to advance in the FA Cup, they have to improve defensively. We can’t just blame them and say, ‘Oh, we didn’t create enough shots in the final third.’ They have to stop conceding goals. They’ve improved a lot lately. They missed a big chance tonight.”
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