Liverpool are currently sacrificing arguably their best player. It can’t go on and it’s a crazy decision.
It’s been a strange start to the season for Liverpool. There’s a new head coach, of course, and that naturally makes things unusual as everyone gets used to new ideas for the team.
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But it’s also Liverpool’s first start to a season since 2016 without Mohamed Salah or Andy Robertson. Two key players who played significant roles on and off the pitch.
Then you’ve got to factor in the team building. Liverpool have an imbalanced squad and that’s asked Andoni Iraola to put some square pegs into round holes – there’s no real getting around that when you’re down on right-backs, right-wingers, centre-forwards and defensive midfielders.
It’s hard to judge any of Iraola’s decisions as a result but there is one we do think he’s getting wrong.
Cody Gakpo has started the season on fire and has unquestionably been Liverpool’s standout attacking player. The other rival for that acclamation is Alexander Isak – but he quickly loses out to Gakpo when you consider the Dutchman has the assist for all of Isak’s goals.
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Gakpo has been the decisive player in virtually every match. It’s been a sensational run of form from him, especially as he’s a player Liverpool very nearly sold for £80m in the summer.
Fortunately, they didn’t and Gakpo is playing regularly for Liverpool. However, there is a bit of an issue.
The squad has no right-wingers and four left-wingers – an imbalance that forces Iraola to play someone out of position. That player has typically been Gakpo, who is operating on the right more often than not.
Now, that has led to some great moments. Gakpo’s assist against Nottingham Forest and his assist against Fulham both came from excellent work on that flank.
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But it’s not his natural role and playing your in-form player in an unnatural position does feel like madness. Gakpo’s game just doesn’t mesh well with the right flank – he wants to get his head up and move inside with some freedom to create play towards goal.
He can’t do that on the right as it puts him on his weaker foot, while he doesn’t have the electric pace necessary to consistently take full-backs on the outside. Victor Munoz and Bradley Barcola do boast that pace – and it’s why they feel like better options to play on the right.
Gakpo is being sacrificed at the moment in an effort to play Barcola and Ngumoha in their natural position. But with the team struggling to create consistently, surely it makes more sense to put the in-form player in his best role and let him make things happen.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
