It’s hard not to feel a little sorry for Cody Gakpo who has been limited, mainly, to substitute appearances for Liverpool in the 2024/25 season.
The former PSV attacker has been a top contributor for new head coach Arne Slot regardless, registering three goal contributions in eight games (across 275 minutes of action).
Despite this, Jurgen Klopp’s successor has opted to stick with first-choice left-winger Luis Diaz – and not without good reason either.
It’s simply Gakpo’s great misfortune that Liverpool’s No.7 has been one of the club’s seriously in-form players alongside Ryan Gravenberch.
Indeed, it’s hard to argue with a return of six goal contributions in eight games (across all competitions).
Has Arne Slot not treated Cody Gakpo fairly?
Whilst it feels somewhat harsh to see a player of Gakpo’s calibre spend much of his days warming the bench, it would feel equally heinous to criticise Arne Slot’s role in this.
Liverpool’s No.18 could justifiably start in the front three, but his best position is on the left flank. Is it possible to justify benching Diaz before the Colombian hits a poor run of form (if he ever does)? Is it possible to justify playing the Dutch international centrally when Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota are much better equipped for that position?
Nonetheless, one can’t help but imagine Slot nodding along contritely at Steve McManaman’s expression of sympathy for Cody Gakpo.
“If there’s one player you feel sorry for it’s Cody Gakpo. He has made a difference, he has been excellent,” the former Real Madrid star told TNT Sports (via BBC Sport).
“With the summer he has had you’d think he’d be one of [the] first players on [the] manager’s list. He is hard done by, he’s been fantastic.”
The season is long, of course, and you’d expect plenty of opportunities for the 25-year-old to get a run out at Liverpool this season.
The underplayed forward just needs to bide his time and keep capitalising on each opportunity.
