Cody Gakpo looked like he had won the game for Liverpool against Fulham, only for it to be overshadowed a few minutes later.
The Reds have had a poor last few games and their match on Sunday was one of the worst, with the performance so sluggish and uninspiring.
Arne Slot had to make a few changes, with Gakpo playing up front for the injured Hugo Ekitike, a move that did not go down well among Liverpool fans.
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Harrison Reed and Antonee Robinson celebrate after Reed scores against Liverpool for Fulham in the Premier League at Craven Cottage.
Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images
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The Dutch winger is not the most well-liked lately although that is not fully his fault, with the main argument being that Slot keeps playing him no matter what.
Neil Mellor, however, thinks there is another reason that he ‘divides opinion’, yet he was quick to stick up for him after the game.
Neil Mellor is a big fan of Cody Gakpo despite an inconsistent end product
Gakpo lately has been very one-dimensional, with the winger always wanting to cut inside onto his right foot and try to curl one into the corner.
However, he is so easy to read that he cannot get past defenders anymore, and if he somehow does, he very rarely finds the target.
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This is why fans were pessimistic when they heard he would be leading the line, although Mellor has been quick to jump to his defence.
“I was made up to see Gakpo back, I have to say,” he said on The Official Liverpool FC Podcast.
“I think Gakpo is a player who divides opinion at times because of his end product. But he will give you numbers where he will make something happen.
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“He ends up scoring a goal, first half he had a couple of shots, so you know you’ll get some attacking creative moments.”
Arne Slot needs to use Cody Gakpo more effectively
As mentioned, Liverpool fans cannot get their heads around how Gakpo seems to start and finish every game if he is fit, with the Fulham match another example of this.
With that said, if Slot took him off and managed his minutes more effectively, he would not get as much stick and might even be sharper in other games.
Someone like Rio Ngumoha would be good to replace him with as they are very different players and the 17-year-old can punish teams with his pace and directness.
However, at the moment, Gakpo is blocking his path and Slot does not seem willing to change it, which is why fans are so frustrated with the pair of them.
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