Steven Gerrard Names and Shames Liverpool Star Who Has to Be Dropped
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Steven Gerrard Names and Shames Liverpool Star Who Has to Be Dropped
Gerrard was not alone in lambasting Liverpool for Tuesdayâs 2â1 defeat to Wolves.
By Grey Whitebloom
5:51 AM EST
Steven Gerrard (left) did not hold back in his criticism of Liverpool. / Ben Roberts-Danehouse/Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images
Liverpoolâs legendary former captain Steven Gerrard has implored Arne Slot to start the clubâs teenage winger Rio Ngumoha over Cody Gakpo for Fridayâs rematch against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup.
Gerrard was unimpressed with his boyhood clubâs shock 2â1 defeat to the Premier Leagueâs bottom club on Tuesday evening, specifically lamenting a lack of attacking spark from the defending top-flight champions.
âFor 65 minutes, Liverpool were desperate tonight,â he moaned as part of TNT Sportsâ coverage. âReally poor, didnât create enough. They didnât play at the right speed [or] the right tempo. They didnât have enough quality. He has to start Ngumoha now. He has to start because heâs coming on and heâs doing more in a short cameo, in a short space of time, than Gakpo is doing in 65â70 minutes. So he deserves to start.
âHeâs got to start the kid on Friday night.â
Gerrardâs rebuke of Gakpo was not a unique opinion, but it may be a slightly harsh one.
Is Cody Gakpo Being Unfairly Singled Out?
Cody Gakpo was not at his best against Wolves. / Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC/Getty Images
Gakpo did not make a convincing case for his defense on Tuesday evening. With the game still goalless and defiantly lifeless, Liverpool belatedly delivered a set piece which evaded a Wolves head. Curtis Jones appeared primed to chest the ball over the line only to find it hooked away from him. Rather than any Wolves boot, Gakpo was the unwitting culprit.
The left winger has been a lightning rod for criticism this season. At a surface level, itâs understandable. Gakpo has played almost exactly the same number of minutes across all competitions, yet boasts eight goals compared to 18 last term. After losing the option of Luis DÃaz to Bayern Munich in the summer, Liverpoolâs only senior left winger has failed to replicate even half of his own output, let alone replace that of his departed teammate.
However, to single out Gakpo for a down year in this season of all seasons would be like lambasting the deck hand while the Titanic goes down. Gakpoâs notable dip in form is merely a consequence of Liverpoolâs collective malaise rather than the cause.
The Netherlands international stands as the teamâs second top scorer and has only created marginally fewer chances than Florian Wirtz, whose recent uptick in form has been rightly hailed.
Mohamed Salah, as a counterpoint, has endured an even sharper decline and, in spite of his goal at Molineux, is arguably performing even worse than Gakpo. In a competitive setup, one or perhaps even both wide men would be taken out of the firing line for some respite. Whether a 17-year-old with less than 500 senior minutes of soccer to his name is the solution is another matter entirely.
| 2025â26 Premier League Statistic | Cody Gakpo Value (per 90) | Liverpool per 90 Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 27 | T-4 |
| Goals | 6 (0.27) | 2nd |
| Expected Goals | 6.2 (0.28) | 3rd |
| Shots | 64 (2.9) | 2nd |
| Shot on Target % | 22% | 10th |
| Open Play Assists | 2 (0.10) | 5th |
| Open Play Expected Assists | 3.7 (0.17) | 2nd |
| Open Play Chances Created | 35 (1.6) | 2nd |
| Carries Ending in a Goal/Assist | 2 (0.1) | 6th |
| Carries Ending in a Shot/Chance Created | 55 (2.1) | 1st |
Stats via Opta .
Rio Ngumohaâs Bright Bursts
Ngumoha has made an impact this season. / George Wood/Getty Images
| Statistic (All Comps) | Rio Ngumoha |
|---|---|
| Games | 17 |
| Starts | 3 |
| Minutes | 424 |
| Goals | 1 |
| xG | 0.88 |
| Shots | 7 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Chances Created | 14 |
Stats via Opta .
Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first call promising. Ngumoha is a prospect of immense potential but, it should not be forgotten, remains a legal child rather than the salve to all Liverpoolâs myriad of wounds.
Nevertheless, that hasnât stopped the hype. Jamie Carragher prefaced Gerrardâs calls for Ngumohaâs arrival after the fleet-footed winger came off the bench to create the best chance of Liverpoolâs scratchy win over Nottingham Forest last month. âRio Ngumoha came on in the 77th minute [and] he did more in 15 minutes than Gakpo and Salah did in the whole game,â Carragher scoffed.
âHe changed the game this kid. He needs to be starting games now. Heâs that good.â
Slot has managed to resist the temptation to overload the spindly youngster, handing him just three starts this season exclusively in the domestic cup competitions. Even without Gerrardâs advice, thereâs every chance that Ngumoha would have earned a starting berth for Fridayâs FA Cup fifth round tie back at Molineux anyway.
Yet, to expect the reincarnation of John Barnes in a No. 73 shirt this weekend would be grossly unfair.
Ngumoha has impressively averaged a shot or created a chance every 30 minutes heâs been on the pitch this season. Gakpo, who is playing far more minutes against fresh legs when Liverpool arenât slinging everyone up the pitch, is still averaging one chance taken or created every 18 minutesâalmost twice as often as Liverpoolâs supposed savior.
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