Yeah, I’d agree with that.
Or having a system that didn’t play to their strengths.
I’m conscious that I’d we’re not careful this could turn into another Slot bashing thread.
I’ve stated previously that I do think players have to take some responsibility but concede it is difficult in a system that works against you.
If we had two world class wingers he´d be good enough to be in a rotation. But then, so would most players. He´s very replaceable and we need the funds to get those wingers. Especially on 250k a week.
I don´t find those particularly inspiring numbers considering literally all he does is try score and he plays in the front 3 where you will score goals. For me the problem with Gakpo is that other than scoring, he gives nothing else. He ruins your football. I think I said elsewhere, Huntelaar on the wing. Will score some but the rest of your team will suffer.
Also I disagree. I think you can judge on last season. Players are their own people and I never accept that ALL responsibility is on the manager. I don´t think he´s that good but Szobo massively outperformed Gakpo under Slot, for example.
Again though, he´s not the only one I think this of. He´s an alright player but I think getting him off the wage bill and putting the funds towards better players is what I´d do.
I don’t particularly like Gakpo. I think he is a bit one dimensional and I think we should be aspiring for better. But you can’t really argue with his goal rate prior to this season. It really looks to me like he is being prepared for a sale in 2027, and I’m OK with that. We need to not be doing business for the sake of it.
I just this there is any need for the continual bashing of the lad across multiple threads. I think it’s a bit snide and nasty.
My position is, and always has been, let’s not be cunts. I don’t if it’s a problem with this forum or a problem with society that this is described as a crusade. I alway thought this forum, and it predecessor, aspired to a bit better than just slagging off players at every opportunity. If I wanted to see people slagging off players apropo of nothing, I’d be on Twitter.
And when they do?
the problem with that is that theres now an awareness of an issue that wasnt even that big a deal.
Any negative comment on the guy will now see the author of the post be classed as ‘one of those guys’… it stiffles discussion.
if people have crossed a line with Gakpo, then pull the individual up, but to be honest, i really havent seen anything overly problematic… the ‘jokes’ about them both being dutch etc were getting a bit lame, and would have faded out naturally…
The idea of this thread was to discuss players who have been “scapegoated” as the ones who produce little for the team. Its not a vehicle for slaggjng off Gakpo or anyone else. Curtis Jones got the same thing, as did Nunez (now flavour of the month again)
He’s a good enough player to start against most Premier League teams and all but the best of the CL ones. In an ideal world you want someone better for the biggest of games but it’s not his fault they sold Diaz and essentially replaced him in the squad with a 17 year old.
We need depth, variety and positional flexibility. He can offer us that at a reasonable level and perhaps even more than that if he rediscovers some form. A decent world cup and a new manager and he’ll be better than last season.
This is particularly galling. Who sanctioned this?
Im not sure but their financial cost to the club, how much revenue they could generate and how possible it is to replace or upgrade on them must always be factored in when analysing players.
Gapko shirt sales will cover that…
Really? How many people have you seen wearing Gakpo shirts? I can honestly say that in six Anfield trips last season I have only seen one
The one worn by Cody Gakpo on the pitch.
To me, most people on here are sensible when it comes to criticizing players. Gakpo has a stinker of a season, never look like he was good enough and is very poor throughout. And that should be enough. But to me that should be the line drawn. But there are a few who likes to make is a sport to call names like I remember someone calling Gakpo a fucking useless giraffe or something like this (cannot remember who but probably would be searchable). Yeah I know these are millionaires and they should be able to take some hits, yeah maybe they will never read this forum so they would not be hurt but it all boils down to is that the kind of behaviour we want to show as supporters of this great club? People who exhibit such behaviour are telling me that is ok for me to call them names as long as I don’t like them or if they do not perform at work, its ok for their colleagues to call them useless. All of us are angry and frustrated with the season so don’t use passion or love for the club as an excuse for sorry behaviours.
Jeez…
I actually think the style we were trying to play was so incoherent that it is difficult to judge any player on the basis of the past season. Gakpo had a poor season, but so did so many players. What happened to McAllister is just astonishing. I guess the thing for me with Gakpo versus with McAllister is that with McAllister I could tell he wasn’t playing well, I could call out particular failings, but there wasn’t one single marker/moment that drove me up the wall. By contrast, Gakpo had that Temu Coutinho thing where he would be nowhere all game, somehow get the ball in a vaguely promising area, and predictably enough cut in from the left to blast the ball high and wide of the goal. I would find myself just waiting for it.
I am quite willing to see how he adjusts to the new regime, same for all of them. Very few players can look good inside a dysfunctional structure.
Yup, Roberto Firmino didn’t look like Bobby Dazzler until Klopp sorted out the system.
Odd how this seems to be another Gakpo thread. I am of the train of thought that we haven’t seen the best from any of them and if the summer continues as it is we shouldn’t be looking to sell before we buy.
Genuinely wasn’t meant to be.
I was hoping we might discuss the whipping boy status of players, like Curtis, Darwin, Lucas wtc.
Darwin was a weird one. I do think he was perhaps criticized unfairly. But we never did see the kind of refined player that we saw when he was playing against us that made us all think he was a great buy
I never had the impression that Curtis or Darwin were overwhelmingly whipping boys. Sure there had been criticisms but in terms of being whipping boys, I think Lucas are more at that level.
If anything I think Darwin was cut more slack than he probably deserved.
Which probably speaks to how personality plays a part in who becomes the whipping boy. An under performing, quiet “steady Eddie” type only has his on pitch contributions going for him. An under performing agent of chaos seems to be given more leeway because at least they’re fun and that once in a blue moon moment makes up for the under performance.