Topic: Cody Mathès Gakpo

[Knight]

People can moan about us not making enough signings, but the more worrying and pressing issue is this. There's no strategy in our transfers anymore.

They’re both pretty worrying, not sure I care to pick between them. And if we’d signed more players back when we knew what we were doing we’d be in less of a pickle now. We should have been signing a midfielder in the summer of 2021 for example.

[AndyMuller]

That’s a worrying statement from him.

[MonsLibpool]

You mean his first few games in a new league in team performing terribly?

Yeah, there's no way he can ever improve on those performances, might as well just sell him now.

If a team is performing terribly, what's the point of signing a player if he doesn't improve you? Our attack has arguably been worse since joined. We're creating fewer clearcut chances.

We needed someone to come in and improve us instantly to make a push for the top 4 but we ended up signing a confidence player (that'd struggle in a struggling team) that we have no idea how to use. A struggling team with limited resources doesn't have the luxury of making signings like this.

[MD1990]

https://www.liverpoolgecko.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/cody-gakpo-speaks-out-liverpool-26639542.amp

I just hope he’ll come good as the potential is there.

wow that is very worrying
Seems we bought him & just decided to play him as a CF after a tough start out on the left.

I do think he has done well overall & i think he is a talent.
But are all across the club a mess

[tubby]

Don't think those comments necessarily mean that we don't know what we're doing moving forward.  It feels likely to me that we stick with 433 and Gakpo plays through the middle.

[Clint Eastwood]

Yeah that's not particularly encouraging.

Good player, great person, hopefully he'll be a success here, but our recruitment is all over the place. I bet Nunez would say the same thing.

[killer-heels]

Yeah that's not particularly encouraging.

Good player, great person, hopefully he'll be a success here, but our recruitment is all over the place. I bet Nunez would say the same thing.

Main thing is that we rectify it in the summer and make tough decisions on the attack. That might mean moving players on we originally didnt want to.

[Zlen]

Not very encouraging ahead of the 'must not fuck up' summer.
We seem to be pretty undecided on how exactly do we want to play and what type of players we need to achieve this.

[CraigDS]

Don’t think it’s that worrying. Klopp will know the role he wants him to play, the fact he doesn’t know yet isn’t entirely surprising to me, not when there is a good chunk of this season for him to concentrate on and we’ve had injuries which have forced people out of position.

[Dave McCoy]

You mean his first few games in a new league in team performing terribly?

Yeah, there's no way he can ever improve on those performances, might as well just sell him now.

I'm going to assume you didn't watch him play in the Eredivisie at all. They would basically pass him the ball on the left and he would cross or shoot because he had a physical advantage. Now he doesn't have that advantage in the PL so what he was good at in the Eredivisie doesn't work so he's having to do something completely different. If you look at his number splits it's a complete nose dive in every category.

Edit: For example he was averaging 10 crosses with 1.3 crosses into the penalty area a game in the Eredivise vs. 1.2 total crosses a game in the PL. A ton of his assists were off crossing because he's a great striker of the ball. Well we can't use him that way in the PL so ?

[Schmidt]

Nothing we're doing really seems to be with any sort of coherent plan. Shunt an orthodox 9 out wide so we can fit in a false 9, but then play a lopsided midfield where the right-sided player has a similar role to the false 9, and on top of that have our most attacking full back on that side so we end up with 3-4 players stepping on each others toes while leaving a gaping hole to exploit, and expect a not particularly mobile 6 to deal with it.

Not much of this is forced either, it seems to be the aim.

[B0151?]

Guys do you really think when we sign players Klopp takes them into his office and explains what their exact role will be for the next 5 years? Use your brains. He doesn't know about the long term because he's here to do whatever role Klopp and the staff tell him to, like every other player. It doesn't mean we don't know have a clue. And clearly versatility has been a factor in our recent attacking signings.

You're allowed to question our planning but that answer to a question is not worrying. Like it wasn't worrying when we signed Jota and have played him in multiple positions. There's an argument Gakpo doesn't even get into the first 11 with everyone fit so of course being able to play multiple positions will be important for him.

[Eeyore]

wow that is very worrying
Seems we bought him & just decided to play him as a CF after a tough start out on the left.

I do think he has done well overall & i think he is a talent.
But are all across the club a mess

How on earth did you come to that conclusion?

[killer-heels]

Find the Nunez signing still odder. A forward who doesnt press well. Who would have thought that would be the case with a Klopp signing. Gakpo still looks more capable in that aspect.

[Clint Eastwood]

Find the Nunez signing still odder. A forward who doesnt press well. Who would have thought that would be the case with a Klopp signing. Gakpo still looks more capable in that aspect.

It’s frustrating because they’re both talented players and very likeable. We’ve always signed players who would suit our style with the numbers to support, and at most altered the role that they play in. We’ve made a bit of a drastic change of policy in the last year with the Nunez, Gakpo, Carvalho signings. And the evidence from our performances is not reassuring.

I’d like us to take a step back from forcing the Gakpo/Nunez thing and just go with Salah, Jota, Diaz for the rest of the season.

[B0151?]

It’s frustrating because they’re both talented players and very likeable. We’ve always signed players who would suit our style with the numbers to support, and at most altered the role that they play in. We’ve made a bit of a drastic change of policy in the last year with the Nunez, Gakpo, Carvalho signings. And the evidence from our performances is not reassuring.

I’d like us to take a step back from forcing the Gakpo/Nunez thing and just go with Salah, Jota, Diaz for the rest of the season.

We've been forcing it instead of playing players who were literally unavailable? 

Ideally of course we would have been able to play Jota and Diaz (who isn't even back playing yet) more

[Clint Eastwood]

We've been forcing it instead of playing players who were literally unavailable? 

Ideally of course we would have been able to play Jota and Diaz (who isn't even back playing yet) more

I mean the Gakpo false 9/Nunez on the wing situation. That feels forced. I think I’d still rather see Gakpo on the left and Nunez in the middle, but clearly something is up there. Now that Diaz is back we can soon see those three.

[Sheer Magnetism]

I suspect Gakpo and Nunez were signed because they were relatively versatile players we thought would have the ability to play in a fluid front three. If the players in the attack are constantly interchanging, where they start isn't a massive issue. And if we play differently to their last club, they aren't going to be replicating their role there anyway. The approach seemed to work against the Mancs after all, maybe a few more months together and we'll be seeing that kind of play most weeks.

[skidz73]

Except Ngog was actually not good enough at all, while Gakpo is a talented footballer and will go much further than Ngog. Ngog is an out and out striker who hasn't been able to score very well in any top league, or even mediocre ones. Gakpo isn't an out and out striker, and already has a good scoring record in the Eredivisie and has already score a quarter of the goals Ngog scored during his entire time at Liverpool. Apples and Onions mate.

That’s for future. I’m referring to what seems like a reticence on his part to go for the ball full blooded.

[Eeyore]

I'm going to assume you didn't watch him play in the Eredivisie at all. They would basically pass him the ball on the left and he would cross or shoot because he had a physical advantage. Now he doesn't have that advantage in the PL so what he was good at in the Eredivisie doesn't work so he's having to do something completely different. If you look at his number splits it's a complete nose dive in every category.

Edit: For example he was averaging 10 crosses with 1.3 crosses into the penalty area a game in the Eredivise vs. 1.2 total crosses a game in the PL. A ton of his assists were off crossing because he's a great striker of the ball. Well we can't use him that way in the PL so ?

I hate to break it to you but crossing is entirely dependent on being out wide. So you have noticed that Gakpo is being played through the middle but have been unable to make the inevitable conclusion that his crossing numbers will go down.

I can't believe he isn't breaking through the middle and then crossing it to the corner flags. 

[smurfinaus]

In regards with his crossing, does he have the pace to get outwide and cross?. Does feel like he is a bit slow off the mark - been surprised how he has filled in the Firmino position...been making the effort....

[FlashGordon]

I hate to break it to you but crossing is entirely dependent on being out wide. So you have noticed that Gakpo is being played through the middle but have been unable to make the inevitable conclusion that his crossing numbers will go down.

I can't believe he isn't breaking through the middle and then crossing it to the corner flags.

This is what happens when you look at numbers on a screen and think you have any clue about the sport 

And there's not a hope in the world Dave spent hours watching him in the Eredivisie.

[SamLad]

had a very good game today.  held the ball well, good passes, always available.  really looked the part to me.

[Clint Eastwood]

He was… okay. Bobby showed us in that cameo how to play that role. He’s aggressive, strong, tenacious. Gakpo is a bit more laid back in his play. Can’t say he’s particularly good at pressing. He can still get there but it’s a peculiar one. Definitely seems a bit too slow to be a winger for us.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

Gakpo got better as the game progressed. I think that does suck him up though at the moment - he will work well if we are, but if we aren't he won't influence the game much.

I think his pressing is a bit of a worry - he certainly does it, but he isn't massively effective, and isn't as intense with his pressing as Bobby even now.

I get the idea of having pressing forwards, but currently with Jota and Gakpo as they are, we look way more effective with Nunez not pressing, than we do with them pressing but not very effectively

[killer-heels]

Thought he was decent but the pressing isn’t great.

[BobPaisley3]

Did alright but still not sure what the longer term plan is for the front line.

[Schmidt]

Gakpo got better as the game progressed. I think that does suck him up though at the moment - he will work well if we are, but if we aren't he won't influence the game much.

I think his pressing is a bit of a worry - he certainly does it, but he isn't massively effective, and isn't as intense with his pressing as Bobby even now.

I get the idea of having pressing forwards, but currently with Jota and Gakpo as they are, we look way more effective with Nunez not pressing, than we do with them pressing but not very effectively

Isn't that the definition of a luxury player, rather than a pressing forward? It's nuts that we've been so poor in attack since he arrived and yet we seem more concerned with the experiment than with results, despite being given multiple chances to get back into the top four.

[Coolie High]

Did alright but still not sure what the longer term plan is for the front line.

Salah and Diaz should start most games, i don't know about the rest.

[BobPaisley3]

Salah and Diaz should start most games, i don't know about the rest.

Yeah, that will be the plan you’d imagine when Diaz is back. Think it might be Gakpo with Nunez off the bench.

[farawayred]

Did alright but still not sure what the longer term plan is for the front line.

He is growing into that role, who knows what the future holds. But if we were to switch to 4-2-3-1...

[BobPaisley3]

He is growing into that role, who knows what the future holds. But if we were to switch to 4-2-3-1...

Yeah, one thing having two completely different 9s gives us the chance to try different systems.

[TepidT2O]

I’ve been really impressed with him.. much better than I was expecting him to be to be honest

[HomesickRed]

Settling in but not convincing me at the mo.
He seems too big to press the way we need and has no real acceleration.
He often goes awol and is rarely front and central when needed / has the chance.
Why do we have a 6'3" centre forward who is so little threat from corners, he is relegated to taking them?
I would suggest, in the words of Alan Shearer, he needs to want to score more.

[RedBec1993]

Been very impressed with him, holds play well, makes intelligent runs and actually carries the ball very well.

Will get even better in a fully functioning side

[Bjornar]

Is looking more and more like another very good signing.

[jillcwhomever]

Yes, he was involved in most of the attacking moves today and he flies around the pitch.

[MonsLibpool]

He looked good.

[Dim Glas]

He looks a player.
Imagine him once he’s really settled and in a more functional season!

[Coolie High]

Very good performance, done everything well, created scored and dropped back to provide a numerical advantage in midfield, you can see why Klopp favours him at the moment.