Welcome to Liverpool Cody Gakpo

[RichC]

I was so annoyed with his performance on Sunday but as has been said above he's been moved around a fair bit which can't be easy.

As you say he's 5th choice attacker when they're all fit and I can't imagine many sides have as much depth to have him as their 5th choice.

Maybe with a run of games in his preferred position we'd see more from him but he'll struggle to get those minutes if they're all fit.

[Kenneth]

I know he’s changed position, but his supposed flexibility was touted by Klopp as a strength when he came, without that reputation he probably wouldn’t be here. I do think he has the quality but not convinced he had the temperament. Gakpo or origi and £40m to spend elsewhere?

[kingfunk]

I’d imagine he will be sacrificed in the summer.

[Irishnev]

I know he’s changed position, but his supposed flexibility was touted by Klopp as a strength when he came, without that reputation he probably wouldn’t be here. I do think he has the quality but not convinced he had the temperament. Gakpo or origi and £40m to spend elsewhere?

I’d say his signing was heavily influenced by Pep L, same as Gravenberch….. they share a lot of the same physical and mental attributes

[badpiggy]

Those runs through the middle seem to have deserted him. Maybe it's confidence thing? He's now the sort of player who'll get you the 4th goal in a 5-0 win but offers very little when intensity and aggression are required. Honestly I think Gravenberch is the same. Except without the goals. But he's entitled to a bit more time.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I’m not his biggest fan for what a lot of you have said but let me play devil’s advocate ….. he played as a left winger for PSV where he’d cut in on his right and shoot. I’d say we’ve never played him there and when Salah was out we played him on the right inside of moving Dias over and allowing Gakpo play in the role where he was successful. We’ve also played him in midfield and again he might have the size but he certainly doesn’t have the mental attributes to play there. All of that must effect his confidence

Essentially he’s our 5th choice attacker and he’s got 13 goals this season so from a pure numbers perspective it’s not bad….

He also plays on the left mostly for the Dutch national team but he rarely cuts in to take a crack on his right foot. What he is for them is almost like a wide playmaker and he is very very efffective in that role.

Said it probably three or four times now about him, but I don't get when we have injuries to the likes of Jota or Diaz at the same time that we do not try Gakpo in that left sided position that he plays in for the Dutch team and have Darwin making runs all over the place ahead of him.

He also links with the LCM and the LB or LWB for the Dutch when he is in that wide playmaker role so he is both outlet and provider from the position.


Though, and as you said, from a numbers pov he is only a goal behind Jota in all comps this season and level with Jota on assists. He is also ahead of Diaz for goals and assists. So he does something right and is at least on the same level as those two for end product. Whether that level of end product is enough is another story, but if not then it opens up the other two for some of the same questions.


Diaz in particular imo.

Jota on the other hand I think is a bit unlucky in that he is just so injury prone and falls a bit into that made of biscuits bracket.

[Big-Red-Ed]

He just looks like a player whose confidence has collapsed.

YNWA

[danperkins]

Might sound a bit daft but you can kind of tell he’s not got it just by looking at him. Technically fine and all that, but there no signs of aggression, no grimaces of determination, signs of genuine passion, the dead pan celebrations, it’s all quite calm and robotic. He’s certainly not the kind of player that fans naturally warm to, which doesn’t really help, and I think the PL needs the opposite of all that tbh, maybe he’s just in the wrong league.

was having this exact conversation on the weekend about his demeanor.

[danperkins]

It's an odd one because he's not ****, the numbers are there & he clearly has ability but there's just something missing. Maybe it's the premier league, maybe it's the position but imo I can't see him being happy as just a squaddie.

[frank the tank]

I think he is good.

****ed up on Sunday but then Elliott and Bradley didn't exactly light it up when they came on either.

**** happens.

Ynwa cody

[SB]

I think he is good.

****ed up on Sunday but then Elliott and Bradley didn't exactly light it up when they came on either.

**** happens.

Ynwa cody

[Doc_Piptorious]

It's an odd one because he's not ****, the numbers are there & he clearly has ability but there's just something missing. Maybe it's the premier league, maybe it's the position but imo I can't see him being happy as just a squaddie.

Who knows. Squaddie at Liverpool still means a decent amount of games, a great wage, playing in a famous stadium in front of loud crowds and getting a better than average chance of wining medals.


Think at present he is a higher level Minamino. That player who can come in and that will get goals, that will be tidy in his play but does not have a nailed down position.


Another factor with him, I think anyway, is that a lot of his starts have tended to come when we rotated heavily for EL or league cup games, so he would be in teams that are a tad more disjointed and that does not really suit a guy who is better at being the playmaker or facilitator than he is at being the sharp end of an attack.


Think he is one of those guys in our squad who is good enough to be at least a squaddie at a club like Liverpool, but at the same time being one of those that if a good offer came in for hin that he would be seen as being a sellable asset.


Would have no issues with him being in the squad next season and continuing to rack up a pretty goal tally for a squaddie.

[danperkins]

Who knows. Squaddie at Liverpool still means a decent amount of games, a great wage, playing in a famous stadium in front of loud crowds and getting a better than average chance of wining medals.


Think at present he is a higher level Minamino. That player who can come in and that will get goals, that will be tidy in his play but does not have a nailed down position.


Another factor with him, I think anyway, is that a lot of his starts have tended to come when we rotated heavily for EL or league cup games, so he would be in teams that are a tad more disjointed and that does not really suit a guy who is better at being the playmaker or facilitator than he is at being the sharp end of an attack.


Think he is one of those guys in our squad who is good enough to be at least a squaddie at a club like Liverpool, but at the same time being one of those that if a good offer came in for hin that he would be seen as being a sellable asset.


Would have no issues with him being in the squad next season and continuing to rack up a pretty goal tally for a squaddie.

[vlahka]

Its not like we're upset that he didnt score. He was running with 2 players on either side of him towards 2 defenders. He had an absolute age to figure out where to pass without anyone pressing him. His brain couldnt do it. Its one thing to screw up when under pressure, or close that you decide to keep it and shoot yourself. What he did shows zero game intelligence. You cant afford that if you want to win titles. If you cant score because of an off day or something, you do your best to help someone else score. His 26 games and 3 assists shows hes not too flexible considering the forwards we have.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Its not like we're upset that he didnt score. He was running with 2 players on either side of him towards 2 defenders. He had an absolute age to figure out where to pass without anyone pressing him. His brain couldnt do it. Its one thing to screw up when under pressure, or close that you decide to keep it and shoot yourself. What he did shows zero game intelligence. You cant afford that if you want to win titles. If you cant score because of an off day or something, you do your best to help someone else score. His 26 games and 3 assists shows hes not too flexible considering the forwards we have.

Well if the criteria is PL and assists, what about Diaz with his 27 games and 3 assists?


Jota is another attacker with only 3 pl assists to his name.


TAA who was going to set the world on fire from his quarterback role has only 4 assists from 21 pl games despite no longer having the shackles of defensive responsibilities.

Now I don't disagree completely with what you are saying about Gakpo, but seems there are a number of others within the squad that we could beat with the same stick if we limited it to that.