Arne Slot ripped apart Liverpool’s plan for a player even Mohamed Salah considers undervalued

If the general consensus is that Ryan Gravenberch is the player most transformed by the arrival of Arne Slot, then Cody Gakpo can’t be too far behind.

If the general consensus is that Ryan Gravenberch is the player most transformed by the arrival of Arne Slot, then Cody Gakpo cannot be too far behind his fellow Netherlands international.

Approaching the two-year anniversary of his arrival at Liverpool from PSV – something agreed during three days of intense negotiations between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day between the then sporting director, Julian Ward, and his counterpart Marcel Brands – there is an argument to be made that Gakpo has never been more important to the cause than he is now.

Liverpool had not initially planned to bring in Gakpo at the start of 2023, but were forced to accelerate their plans when it became known that Erik ten Hag had wanted to land the Oranje international for Manchester United at era.

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Three goals in five World Cup matches for the Dutch at the Qatar 2022 World Cup had made many sit up and take notice and with then United boss Ten Hag keenly aware of the Gakpo’s abilities in the Eredivisie, Ward was forced to sacrifice most of his festive energy. period to beat the Red Devils to the punch.

Gakpo arrived at a club going through a difficult period and attempts to transform the left winger into a more central operator in the forward line failed to yield instant results, while former manager Jurgen Klopp even opted for to use the attacker as the most advanced attacker. the three in midfield.

Gakpo has repeatedly made no secret of the fact that he believes he is best used on the left side of the attack, where he has become the poster boy of Dutch football, but has always insisted that he was ready to play wherever Klopp asked.

It was a tactical misstep for which Klopp was later blamed, saying in one of his final press conferences: “I caused a little problem in a phase where we didn’t have midfielders , so I put him in midfield It didn’t work well – I thought everything was fine, but he failed to gain the confidence that every player needs.

Speaking in April, Mohamed Salah also suggested that Gakpo’s importance to the cause was being overlooked, admitting: “Cody doesn’t get any credit because the fans, I don’t know if they really understand his game or no. But he’s a very, very intelligent player. I admire his way of thinking, it’s very, very good.

It has been explained, notably by the man himself, how Slot won the race to succeed Klopp due to the similarities in style of football, but the head coach has certainly put his own stamp on the team during his six months in charge, although this has not yet extended to staff. From a player perspective, this is still very much the team Klopp built, but the minor tweaks here and there are currently paying off.

Particularly with Gakpo, who was instantly restored to his favored position following the arrival of his compatriot at the beginning of June. After seeing how well the striker thrived on the left of a front three during their time together in the Eredivisie, Slot had no qualms about ripping up Klopp’s plans to turn the striker into a ‘false 9’ by Roberto Firmino-lite.

There is an argument to be made that Gakpo’s role became much simpler under Slot than under Klopp, where he was asked to replicate what Firmino had contributed during a legendary Reds career that saw him seen playing as a key player in a trophy-laden match. period, perfecting this particular brand of centre-forward play. It’s something the former PSV player himself seems to subscribe to.

“Before I came to Liverpool, I also played as a left winger. Then I came here and started playing more as a central striker,” Gakpo told Men in Blazers last month. At the Euros I played as a left winger again Then this season the new manager came, I had a conversation with him and (Slot) said to me: “You have to concentrate on the position. left winger… it’s your position when you enter or when you start”.

“Because he said there’s a lot of competition here, so you just have to show up.” But he said, “this shall be your position.” For me it was a bit like the old me, like what I did at PSV too. I feel really good in this position. I try to show everyone my best, what I am capable of.

“I think I’m approaching more one-on-one now, against the opponent, where I can really get inside and make a cross, shoot or come out and make a cross – which is more my game, I would say, and where I think I can be really dangerous and help the team as much as possible.

Even with Diogo Jota out for two months during a period where Darwin Nunez was the team’s only recognized and natural “No. 9”, Slot eschewed the opportunity to take over Gakpo’s central role, preferring to play Luis Diaz in the middle. .

Colombian international Diaz led the line for the first time in the Premier League against Fulham on Saturday and marked his first outing at the forefront of the attack with a hat-trick in a 4-0 demolition of Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League also in November.

Meanwhile, Gakpo has stayed put in his chosen position and is thriving as a result. Seven goals in his last 10 appearances, including important and timely strikes for a Reds side that leads both the Premier League and Champions League heading into Christmas. Now at nine for the campaign, the challenge is to see how close he can get to the 20-goal barrier.

The opener against Manchester City, the decisive second against Real Madrid and Saturday’s equalizer were all vitally important efforts in Liverpool’s recent form, while their efforts in the Carabao Cup, where they are leading of the table with four goals, are one of the main reasons why the Reds travel to Southampton on Wednesday evening to try to secure a place in the last four.

The fight for the left position with Diaz will continue all season under Slot but it is Gakpo who seems to have the jersey at the moment.