In hindsight, Cody should have been made the Jota replacement and we should have brought in a world-class LW. No need to buy Isak.
On top or that, he has never been the kind of players that deserve a 250k-per week wage (a.k.a he is earning more than Sadio fucking Mane a few years ago).
Is Gakpo a good fit for what want for the single striker role? Not aggressive enough for that. Neither is Ekitike yet, but he’s technically more than able to play through the middle.
He played central for the Netherlands in their two-man attack (3 at the back shape) at WC22. Scored a few goals. Then Klopp had his idea/attempt of potentially converting him to a false #9. Had some good games, but meh…
Slot doesn’t see it and I don’t think Gakpo wants it either. I honestly don’t see much sense in this Gakpo as a (backup) striker idea. Give it a few games and then the same people will probably cry to have him back as a winger.
The thing with Gapko for me is that he is a prime example of someone who has been well coached during his development, has absorbed it all very well and is applying it extremely “well”. The issue is it is robotic and without a “feel” for the game or game situation. He is in a way the antithesis of Diaz or Mane.
The lack of a clear threat from the left (yes the stats but they are not the whole story), that drags the focus to this quadrant, will clearly have a knock-on (detrimental) effect onto the middle and the right side of the attack as well as the left flank in general.
Over the last few games, his interphase with the left back has been better but you cannot help but feel that he is still running training ground “routes”…
Can we find a way to make him work? Does he have a role to play with two up top? Who knows?
If ever a game could show up a player’s limitations, then that was it.
Nothing against him personally but he just isn’t good enough to be starting every week for a club of this stature.
Sell him!
An average footballer who will have purple patches once in a while.He is a good squad player but nothing more.
Wasted a load of good opportunities again. Takes far too long on the ball, doesn’t spot simple passes, plays entirely to boost his goal contributions
But, on the bright side,
Gakker’s knackered (temporarily for a few weeks)
I’m not surprised. He’s played a LOT of minutes
He’s been taking really low percentage shots this season. Well-documented the number of times he’s overlooked the overlapping runs from Milos. First half against Forest at Anfield we were screaming for him to pass to a completely free Kerkez
It’s just another thing that isn’t working at the moment but I can’t remember the last time I saw such a lack of coordination between a winger and his fullback. Gakpo often looks like he’s actively refusing to pass to Kerkez when he’s on overlap.
Even Gary Gillespie was astonished that Gakpo kept on ignoring Kerkez overlapping run in the most recent co-commentary (LFC Audio Live Commentary). I think Gary was actually getting quite annoyed by what he was seeing.
And you know it’s got bad when EVEN Gary Gillespie gets annoyed
Indeed. I love listening to Gary’s co-commentary. He’s so calm, and relatively “neutral”..my heart rate would stay pretty normal and steady. While Ronnie Whelan, his annoyance towards the officials or players would rubbed off on me, and my heart rate would be all over the place.
I dont think in my entire life I have ever heard him speak. And that despite me meeting him when queing for pie and chips at Aust when I was kid and introduced myself as a fan only for him to just stare blankly at me (it may have not been the real Gary)
My “neighbours” at Anfield are usually older gentlemen. Some of them have walking sticks. Couple of them got so mad they stood up screaming “PASS TO THE LAD!!” without their walking sticks, ignoring their joint pain!