Cody Gakpo got a goal and assist against West Ham.
Liverpool needed a big result against the Hammers on Sunday for the sake of their season and Arne Slot’s job, and they got just that with a 2-0 win.
The Dutchman made a few changes to his starting XI, with the most notable being dropping Mohamed Salah, with everything seeming to pay off.
One bold call he made was to keep Gakpo in the team too, with many fans starting to get frustrated with his performances in recent weeks.
Who was your man of the match during Liverpool’s 2-0 win over West Ham?
This does not seem to have changed either as despite contributing in both of Liverpool’s goals, fans are still left divided about whether he should be in the team.
Liverpool fans unsure on Cody Gakpo
Since Luis Diaz left, Gakpo has been the regular left winger at the club, with the Dutchman also the only real option other than Rio Ngumoha.
However, despite getting his chance week in, week out, he has not always shown it, although against West Ham he made his presence felt.
This might still not be enough, though, as fans still cannot make up their minds about him, suggesting he still has another level he needs to go to if he is to win them all over.
One supporter wrote: “Cody Gakpo now has the most goals and assists for Liverpool this season. He deserves more respect than he gets from the online fans of this fanbase.”
Another fan disagreed, though, saying: “He’s fine for our standards right now but if we want to compete he can’t be starting every game.”
A third added: “He’s a very good player but so frustrating, yesterday it was good play, good play, pass to Gakpo, breaks down…at least seven times it happened,” while another summed his performance up, saying: “To be fair, he looked dreadful first half and then came up with a goal and an assist.”
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A fifth believes Gakpo is the right man, however, writing: “With a bit more awareness and better decision making, he can be an ELITE player. His goalscoring instinct is top.”
Another said: “He already is elite and has been for 3 seasons. Consistent 20 Ga + every year. His game is just ugly for a winger.”
A seventh does not think he is good enough and was rather harsh with his verdict, saying; “He does not deserve more respect than he gets, he’s shocking and could never replace Luis Diaz.”
A final supporter is also not convinced that Gakpo is the right man to take Liverpool forward in this position, writing: “He’s not good enough for a front three at this club.”
Arne Slot seems to love Cody Gakpo
Whether Reds fans like it or not, Gakpo is one of Slot’s favourites, and this is clear by how many minutes he has got this season.
He almost always starts every game and regularly plays the full duration too, even if he has been quiet or too predictable.
The lack of out-and-out options in this department is also another reason why he likely gets so much game time, with Slot confident that he will do a good job.
Cody Gakpo answers his critics
However, the debate right now is largely pointless as after scoring and assisting, he will likely start against Sunderland on Wednesday, with this a chance for him to prove his consistency.
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