Steven Gerrard has urged Arne Slot to play Rio Ngumoha ahead of Cody Gakpo after Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Wolves on Tuesday night.
Rodrigo Gomes put Wolves ahead at Molineux before Mohamed Salah pulled Slot’s side level with seven minutes remaining. Nonetheless, Rob Edwards’ side registered only their third Premier League win this season with Andre’s goal in injury time.
The result leaves Liverpool fifth within the Premier League but they might be overtaken by Chelsea in the event that they win away to Aston Villa on Wednesday.
Gakpo began on Liverpool’s left flank but Gerrard believes 17-year-old Ngumoha, who got here on instead against Wolves, should now replace the Dutchman for Friday’s FA Cup tie against Wolves.
‘For 65 minutes Liverpool were desperate tonight, really poor, didn’t create enough, didn’t play at the fitting speed or the fitting tempo, didn’t have enough quality,’ Gerrard told TNT Sports.
‘He has to start out Ngumoha now. He has to start out him because he’s coming on and he’s doing more in a brief cameo in a brief space of time than Gakpo’s doing in 65, 70 minutes.
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‘He deserves to start out now. He’s got to start out the child on Friday night [in the FA Cup].’
Gerrard also described Liverpool’s first-half display against Wolves as a ‘complete waste’.
‘The three targets are going to be securing top 4 again for Champions League for next season and attempting to go all the best way in the opposite two competitions,’ Gerrard said.
‘The primary half [against Wolves] was a whole waste from a Liverpool standpoint. No urgency, no ball speed change while you got into the ultimate third of the pitch, there wasn’t much quality or penetration.
‘The opposite thing is that they’ve got to stop conceding really poor goals. It was a basic ball as much as a goal man, a point of interest, you’ve got a two versus one which’s got to be handled then you definitely’ve got the prospect to make a last-ditch tackle that they don’t make.
‘Then the second goal is a poor clearance from the goalkeeper and there’s no response. Liverpool have gotten three players around that would’ve reacted rather a lot quicker to stop it before it becomes a shot on goal. They’re two really poor goals. In the event that they wish to progress within the FA Cup, they need to defend rather a lot higher, they will’t just blame, ‘oh, we didn’t create enough in the ultimate third’, you’ve got to stop conceding goals the opposite way.
‘They’re much improved these days, they’ve missed an enormous opportunity tonight.’
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