“He poses a new threat completely” - Liverpool legend urges Klopp to start 24-year-old star in Arsenal clash
Liverpool legend Phil Thompson has urged Jurgen Klopp to start Cody Gakpo ahead of Darwin Nunez against Arsenal this weekend. He believes that the Dutchman should get the chance as the Uruguayan is not performing well at the moment.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Thompson claimed that Nunez needs to get back to his basics and work on his shooting before getting another chance. He wants Klopp to use this time and play Gakpo as the starting forward and said:
“You might see Gakpo, I like Gakpo, he poses a new threat completely. I like Nunez, he’s just having one of those spells at the moment where I think he got himself a little bit confused because everybody was talking about his relationship with Mo Salah when they were assisting each other and passing to each other."
Thompson added:
"He’s forgotten what he’s done best and that’s having a shot from anywhere and he’s not doing the same thing anymore. So, he has to get back to his basics. But I would think Cody Gakpo has to come into the manager’s mind, particularly for the Arsenal game.”
Gakpo has started just seven games in the Premier League this season, while coming off the bench eight times. He has scored twice for the Reds while adding as many goals in the Europa League and EFL Cup.
Liverpool urged to be patient with Cody Gakpo by Ronald Koeman
The Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman sent a message to Liverpool earlier this season and urged them to be patient with Cody Gakpo. He stated that the Dutchman is young and needs time to become better.
He said (via TribalFootball):
"You have to understand that Gakpo is still a young player. When he first went to Liverpool, the team was struggling and that made it difficult for him to make a quick impact. You have to give him that time to develop and to adapt to the Premier League because it's a different level."
Koeman added:
"I know from my time in England that the intensity is much higher than he used to play in Holland but he's young and he will learn and he will be better, but he has a great future. You can see his quality."
Liverpool signed Gakpo in January 2023 after he was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United. He has played 47 matches for the Reds, registering 13 goals and five assists across competitions.