Welcome to Liverpool Cody Gakpo

[baitman]

Slots ******* lovechild.

Can we remove the "welcome"

[Doc_Piptorious]

I think he's a decent squad player but he shouldn't be starting, let alone starting in that position where he literally does the same thing every time.

Yeah he is good cover in a few positions.

What I don't get with him is how he plays so differently for us than he does for the Netherlands. Under both Klopp and Slot he loves a cut in to the point of rarely testing a fullback with a direct run or watching for an overlapping LB.

For the Netherlands he will mix it up a bit and does go wide (though not as much as cutting in) but he uses his cutting in to then link play with quick one twos or pretty good medium to long range passing to the feet of advancing attackers either on the other flank or that are making runs from deep.

Him and Simons in particular have a very good on pitch relationship which makes it strange, to me anyway, that Gakpo has not struck up a similar relationships with the likes of Wirtz and Ekitike.

[5europeancups]

Slot has turned Gakpo to ****, he used to be pretty effective

I dont agree

Gapko had a trick , left right , cut inside and shoot. He has been sussed out and now doesnt have a trick. Nevertheless , he should still be coached to adapt to this.

[kingfunk]

I can't remember a player that I've disliked as much as this fella. He's so bad. Slow as ****. Predictable as ****. Weak as ****. What's the ****ing point of him.

He’d do well to get in the Wolves/Burnley teams, hate to be too critical of him because he seems the ultimate pro apart from being ****e. Half decent bench warmer but 1000% not a starter for any team with serious ambition.

[Exiled_red]

He was a good player, his form has just fallen off a cliff this season

[danperkins]

Yeah he is good cover in a few positions.

What I don't get with him is how he plays so differently for us than he does for the Netherlands. Under both Klopp and Slot he loves a cut in to the point of rarely testing a fullback with a direct run or watching for an overlapping LB.

For the Netherlands he will mix it up a bit and does go wide (though not as much as cutting in) but he uses his cutting in to then link play with quick one twos or pretty good medium to long range passing to the feet of advancing attackers either on the other flank or that are making runs from deep.

Him and Simons in particular have a very good on pitch relationship which makes it strange, to me anyway, that Gakpo has not struck up a similar relationships with the likes of Wirtz and Ekitike.

Yeah it's a weird one alright, he does have ability there is no doubt about it but also an incredibly frustrating player. Seems more confident with Holland, maybe pace is slower or better suited for him playing international footie? People forget Gakpo scored 18 goals 7 assists last season & 16 Goals 7 Assists the previous season.... they are really solid numbers. Much like Mo, Mac, Grav, his form has just fell off a cliff this season.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Yeah it's a weird one alright, he does have ability there is no doubt about it but also an incredibly frustrating player. Seems more confident with Holland, maybe pace is slower or better suited for him playing international footie? People forget Gakpo scored 18 goals 7 assists last season & 16 Goals 7 Assists the previous season.... they are really solid numbers. Much like Mo, Mac, Grav, his form has just fell off a cliff this season.

They are more than solid numbers imo. Those are top level numbers for a wide attacker.

Think we have been a bit spoiled by Salah and imo often use his numbers as the bar for other wingers.

Without checking I reckon Gakpo's G/A numbers for us in all comps the previous two or three seasons would stand up well against those of almost any other wide attacker in England not called Salah, and reckon his numbers would fare well against guys the media love to call world class.

[Exiled_red]

They are more than solid numbers imo. Those are top level numbers for a wide attacker.

Think we have been a bit spoiled by Salah and imo often use his numbers as the bar for other wingers.

Without checking I reckon Gakpo's G/A numbers for us in all comps the previous two or three seasons would stand up well against those of almost any other wide attacker in England not called Salah, and reckon his numbers would fare well against guys the media love to call world class.

For reference last season Saka got 26G/A for Arsenal in all comps, so very similar

Gakpo this season has 11 so far in all comps which is more than I expected... (Saka has 15)

[Scratch]

Gakpo got a breather every now and then last season, with Diaz and Jota taking the role occasionally. This year he is playing pretty much every match, so it might just be draining his energy reserves faster. A year older, and playing more games.

[BG1973]

Yeah it's a weird one alright, he does have ability there is no doubt about it but also an incredibly frustrating player. Seems more confident with Holland, maybe pace is slower or better suited for him playing international footie? People forget Gakpo scored 18 goals 7 assists last season & 16 Goals 7 Assists the previous season.... they are really solid numbers. Much like Mo, Mac, Grav, his form has just fell off a cliff this season.

PL

G A App (sub)
2022. 7. 2. 21 (4)
2023. 5. 6. 35. (18)
2024. 4. 6. 35. (12)
2025. 5. 3. 25. (4)

This season is his level, there is no dip. Arguably he is doing better... yet the team is suffering because he picks poor options

[Doc_Piptorious]

PL

G. A. App (sub)
2022. 7. 2. 21 (4)
2023. 5. 6. 35. (18)
2024. 4. 6. 35. (12)
2025. 5. 3. 25. (4)

This season is his level, there is no dip. Arguably he is doing better... yet the team is suffering because he picks poor options

TBF you could apply the highlighted line to a number of our established players this season.

The new guys I would not pick as they would have been settling in for the first half of the season, but Gakpo, Salah, Konate, MacAllister, Gravenberch, VVD, and Jones could all have, to varying degrees of course, that line applied to them.

I know all will have had off pitch stuff to deal with be it the loss of a teammate/friend, personal life stuff and so on, but Gakpo is not in the slightest bit unique or even the outstanding candidate for making poor on pitch choices that bring the team down a notch.

Would argue that the three worst performers this season have been Konate (though his form has taken a serious jump up of late), MacAllister and Salah.

Then Gakpo sits on a level below that first trio with VVD, Gravenberch and Jones on a level below Gakpo (as that second trio imo have had plenty of good performances mixed in as well as the off form ones).


Think it is also telling that our worst senior performers are all guys that would have played alongside Jota and that would have had a personal relationship with him.


Think it is also no surprise that the senior players that left the club and got distance from the daily reminders are doing well at their new clubs. Might have seen equally drained performances from some of them had they remained.

[BG1973]

TBF you could apply the highlighted line to a number of our established players this season.

The new guys I would not pick as they would have been settling in for the first half of the season, but Gakpo, Salah, Konate, MacAllister, Gravenberch, VVD, and Jones could all have, to varying degrees of course, that line applied to them.

I know all will have had off pitch stuff to deal with be it the loss of a teammate/friend, personal life stuff and so on, but Gakpo is not in the slightest bit unique or even the outstanding candidate for making poor on pitch choices that bring the team down a notch.

Would argue that the three worst performers this season have been Konate (though his form has taken a serious jump up of late), MacAllister and Salah.

Then Gakpo sits on a level below that first trio with VVD, Gravenberch and Jones on a level below Gakpo (as that second trio imo have had plenty of good performances mixed in as well as the off form ones).


Think it is also telling that our worst senior performers are all guys that would have played alongside Jota and that would have had a personal relationship with him.


Think it is also no surprise that the senior players that left the club and got distance from the daily reminders are doing well at their new clubs. Might have seen equally drained performances from some of them had they remained.

He very very rarely plays in his overlapping FB, always wants to cut inside and shoot.

tbf that is not unique in our side as neither does Salah, But Salah (historically) scores goals and Gakpo does not. And it is unique for wide players generally.

As other said he is a good bench option, that's it.

[Doc_Piptorious]

He very very rarely plays in his overlapping FB, always wants to cut inside and shoot.

tbf that is not unique in our side as neither does Salah, But Salah (historically) scores goals and Gakpo does not. And it is unique for wide players generally.

As other said he is a good bench option, that's it.

Think it was unique, but had a look at a lot of the wide players in the league this season, and with only a few exceptions, most of the "name" wide men are putting in G+A combined numbers of between 6 and 12 in the league (Gakpo is in 8) and most of them seem to be the cut inside most of the time types too. Most have similar minutes to Gakpo as well.



The ones using the overlapping FB or that take on the other team's full backs seem to be in the minority at present, though I would agree that the ones that are putting up the best numbers are the ones that have pace and that are willing to go outside (or use their own fullback) as often as they cut in.

Do think that is why all the wide attackers we have been linked with are ones with pace, decent to good dribbling ability and that go outside as often as they cut in.

[memzey]

Gakpo has almost elite level striking ability with his right foot. The boy has a seriously good shot on him. The problem is, he seems to constantly be looking to exploit that strength, even when doing something else would be better for the team.

Last season he was being rotated with Diaz in both CF and LW positions which ameliorated this issue to some extent. Also worth noting that, when playing as a CF, Diaz would often operate from the inside left. This provided more of an option to Gakpo when cutting in than our current setup allows and made it harder for him to make bad decisions.

He strikes me as a nice lad but I don't think he has high game IQ which is what prompts the frustrating decisions he takes. If he had found it easier to gel with Wirtz and Kirkez I think we'd see him in a more positive light. Perhaps that will come with time. We shall see. In the meantime, and as I have been saying for months (literally), we cannot afford to play both him and Salah in the same team. It is a huge handicap we are imposing on ourselves every time we do so. One of them needs to start from the bench every game until we sort this out. This realisation brings impact of Frimpong's injury and us not replacing Diaz in the summer into sharper relief.

[RedReet]

PL

G A App (sub)
2022. 7. 2. 21 (4)
2023. 5. 6. 35. (18)
2024. 4. 6. 35. (12)
2025. 5. 3. 25. (4)

This season is his level, there is no dip. Arguably he is doing better... yet the team is suffering because he picks poor options

They aren't Gakpo's stats.