Gerrard Delivers Brutal Verdict: Liverpool Star Must Be Benched Immediately
Liverpool icon and former skipper Steven Gerrard has urged manager Arne Slot to give teenage sensation Rio Ngumoha the nod ahead of Cody Gakpo for Friday's FA Cup replay against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Gerrard expressed his disappointment following his beloved club's stunning 2–1 loss to the Premier League's basement dwellers on Tuesday night, particularly criticizing the lack of offensive creativity from the reigning top-flight titleholders.
"Liverpool looked absolutely toothless for 65 minutes tonight," he complained during TNT Sports' broadcast. "Genuinely awful, failed to generate sufficient opportunities. They lacked the proper pace [and] intensity. The quality simply wasn't there. Ngumoha must get his chance now. He deserves it because when he enters the match, he accomplishes more in brief appearances than Gakpo manages in 65–70 minutes. He's earned his opportunity.
"The youngster needs to get the start on Friday evening."
Gerrard's criticism of Gakpo wasn't an isolated viewpoint, though it might be somewhat severe.
Is Cody Gakpo Being Unfairly Singled Out?
Is Cody Gakpo Being Unfairly Singled Out?
Gakpo failed to build a strong argument for himself on Tuesday night. With the match still scoreless and stubbornly dull, Liverpool finally produced a set piece that bypassed any Wolves defender. Curtis Jones seemed positioned to guide the ball across the goal line before seeing it cleared away. Instead of any Wolves player, Gakpo was the inadvertent obstacle.
The left-sided attacker has become a focal point for criticism this campaign. On the surface, this seems justified. Gakpo has featured for nearly identical minutes across all tournaments, yet has managed eight goals versus 18 from the previous season. Following Luis Díaz's departure to Bayern Munich during the summer, Liverpool's sole senior left winger has struggled to match even half his previous production, never mind replacing his former colleague's contribution.
Yet singling out Gakpo for an off year during this particular campaign would be like blaming a crew member while the ship sinks. Gakpo's significant drop in performance is simply a symptom of Liverpool's broader struggles rather than its root cause.
The Dutch international remains the squad's second-highest goalscorer and has generated only slightly fewer opportunities than Florian Wirtz, whose recent improvement has been justifiably praised.
Mohamed Salah, by comparison, has suffered an even steeper decline and, despite his strike at Molineux, is arguably underperforming more than Gakpo. In a competitive environment, one or possibly both wingers would be given a break from the spotlight for recovery. Whether a 17-year-old with fewer than 500 senior playing minutes represents the answer is an entirely different question.
2025–26 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 Ngumoha's Bright Bursts
Rio Ngumoha's Bright Bursts
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 destined for downfall are first labeled as promising. Ngumoha possesses tremendous talent but, it must be remembered, remains a minor rather than the cure for Liverpool's numerous problems.
Still, this hasn't dampened the excitement. Jamie Carragher echoed Gerrard's demands for Ngumoha's inclusion after the speedy winger entered as a substitute to create Liverpool's best opportunity during their labored victory over Nottingham Forest last month. "Rio Ngumoha entered in the 77th minute [and] accomplished more in 15 minutes than Gakpo and Salah managed throughout the entire match," Carragher remarked.
"This youngster transformed the game. He should be getting starts now. He's that talented."
Slot has successfully avoided the urge to overwhelm the slender teenager, granting him only three starts this season solely in domestic cup matches. Even without Gerrard's recommendation, Ngumoha would likely have secured a starting position for Friday's FA Cup fifth round encounter at Molineux regardless.
However, expecting the rebirth of John Barnes wearing the No. 73 jersey this weekend would be extremely unrealistic.
Ngumoha has remarkably managed a shot or chance creation every 30 minutes of playing time this season. Gakpo, who features for significantly more minutes against fresher opposition when Liverpool aren't committing everyone forward, still averages one opportunity taken or created every 18 minutes—nearly double the rate of Liverpool's alleged savior.