Arne Slot has had a tough time of it as the Liverpool manager this season.
Last term, the Reds were one of the most feared teams in the world, but now, Liverpool are getting pummelled 3-0 by Manchester City.
To make matters worse, this is all happening after the Anfield outfit chose to spend over £400 million on new players to try and improve their first-team squad.
Arne Slot reacts during Liverpool's Premier League match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
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And, despite having plenty of talent at his disposal, Slot seems to keep sticking with the same starting XI despite a “frightening” youngster being ready and waiting to leave his mark.
Arne Slot can’t keep ignoring Rio Ngumoha when Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike aren’t playing well for Liverpool
One of the main reasons why Liverpool didn’t choose to sign a left-winger in the summer transfer window is that they wanted to create a clear path for Ngumoha to leave his mark on the Reds’ starting XI.
And, while he may have been handed a fair few opportunities at the start of the season with the 17-year-old even netting his first-ever Premier League goal on his top-flight debut against Newcastle, since then, he’s only played a bit-part role.
He’s often named on Liverpool’s bench, but he’s rarely ever used, and now that he’s managed to get a stunning assist for England’s Under-19s, it’s clear that he’s exactly what Liverpool need.
Not only is he electric when on or off the ball, but he also has plenty of confidence for a player who’s so young.
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His dribbling is also a sight to behold, with some fans even thinking that he could be the Reds’ next Luis Diaz.
This is why fans have been left confused by his lack of playing time, especially with the poor form that Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike have been in recently.
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The fact that Ngumoha’s breakthrough season has come at a time when the Reds have massively upgraded their ranks is far from ideal.
The youngster is one of England’s most exciting prospects, and if he can’t put his talents into action, his development will slow down.
Of course, he’ll likely play a part in most of Liverpool’s cup and academy games, but if Slot wants Ngumoha to reach his full potential, he needs to be used in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
One of Liverpool’s main problems this term has been the lack of form that their attack has been in.
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As mentioned, Gakpo and Ekitike haven’t been at their best recently, but, in all honesty, neither have any of their other attackers.
It’s still unclear what Slot is going to do for the rest of the season, but after Ngumoha’s recent performance for England, it’ll be a massive shock not to see the youngster handed a little extra game time.