Two Liverpool legends. One clear message. And Arne Slot can’t ignore it much longer.
Steven Gerrard has joined Jamie Carragher in calling for Rio Ngumoha to REPLACE Cody Gakpo in the Liverpool starting XI and the pressure is mounting .
The 17 year old whizkid produced another electric cameo off the bench in Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Wolves, injecting life into a toothless attack that had laboured for 65 minutes . Now the Kop icons want him unleashed from the start.
GERRARD’S VERDICT
“Slot has to start Ngumoha now, he has to start him,” Gerrard demanded on TNT Sports after the Molineux horror show.
“He’s coming on and doing more in a short cameo and in a short space of time than Gakpo is doing in 65/70 minutes. He deserves a start now. He’s got to start the kid on Friday night.”
Strong words. But Gerrard wasn’t finished. He backed Virgil van Dijk’s scathing assessment of the performance “for 65 minutes, Liverpool were desperate tonight, really poor” and made it clear the status quo isn’t working .
CARRAGHER’S EARLIER PLEA
This isn’t new. Carragher was saying the same after the Forest win last week.
“Ngumoha did more in 15 minutes than Salah and Gakpo did before that,” he told Sky Sports. “He changed the game and needs to be starting games.”
Two legends. Same opinion. That’s not a coincidence.
THE GAKPO STRUGGLE
Let’s be honest, Gakpo’s form has dipped. The Dutch international has started 28 games this season but has been peripheral in recent weeks . Against Wolves, he offered little before making way for Ngumoha in the 65th minute .
The contrast was stark. Ngumoha brought energy, directness, genuine threat. In 25 minutes, he showed more than Gakpo had in more than an hour.
THE SLOT DILEMMA
Here’s the thing, Slot KNOWS Ngumoha is special. He’s said as much.
“He is a special player that will have more playing time,” Slot admitted last month. But he’s also mindful of the balancing act with teenagers.
“That is what makes it so difficult at the age of these two players (Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni) and where they are at in their development. (They are) good enough to come in or to play for us, to be on the bench, (with) our squad not being big enough.”
The problem? They’re “too good for the U21s” but not quite ready for regular first team football. Except when they come on, they look READY.
THE NUMBERS
Ngumoha has made 17 first team appearances this season, just THREE starts . One of those was against Barnsley in the FA Cup third round .
Friday night’s FA Cup fifth round tie at Wolves? Same competition. Same opposition. Perfect opportunity.
WHAT HAPPENS FRIDAY
Liverpool travel back to Molineux for an FA Cup rematch just three days after that painful league defeat . It’s a chance for revenge. A chance to bounce back.
And a chance for Slot to listen to his club legends.
Gerrard and Carragher have spoken. The fans are desperate to see it. Ngumoha has done everything asked of him from the bench.
Now it’s over to Slot. Start the kid. See what happens.
