Image Credits: Imago Images
Rio Ngumoha’s cameo at the City Ground last weekend certainly got the fanbase talking.
Introduced late on against Nottingham Forest, the 17‑year‑old immediately injected pace, direct running and belief into a game that had been drifting away from the Reds, repeatedly driving at defenders and forcing errors down the flank. His willingness to take players on is quality not many other Reds attackers have.
Since that performance, the conversation around Ngumoha has exploded, with pundits and supporters alike questioning whether his current role off the bench reflects just how influential he has become. Jamie Carragher and other ex‑Liverpool players have publicly argued that he “did more in 15 minutes” than some senior forwards managed across the rest of the game and deserves a bigger share of minutes.
Now Arne Slot has addressed calls for Ngumoha to play more, with the Dutchman explaining that Ngumoha can expect more minutes if he continues to develop on this trajectory and stays fit:
“Yeah, another great example how you can manipulate data, not talking about cup and CL games, Rio has only played 89 mins PL, to be more realistic – or to tell the truth! – then you see his playing time has improved massively over the last few weeks and that is because he has developed,” Slot said in his pre-West Ham conference.
“People are talking about him because he is doing really well, we like that. It’s another example of a player that someone want to see more and more. It’s all due to the fact he does well when he comes in.”
“The highlight v Forest was his 1v1 action and how important that is in football but he had a few other moments he did as well which we talk about. That is part of the development, I really like where he is now. If he stays fit more minutes will come in the future.”