Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer. Picture: LFCTVplaceholder image
Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer. Picture: LFCTV | LFCTV
Cody Gakpo was on target in Liverpool’s 5-2 victory over West Ham United.
Jason McAteer believes that Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo has become an 'easy target' this season.
The Holland international was on target in the Reds' 5-2 victory over West Ham United last weekend. His strike came just minutes after he spurned a golden chance. It was Gakpo's eighth goal of the campaign in all competition, while he has notched four assists.
Gakpo has been Liverpool's first-choice winger this season following the sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich for a fee of £65 million. However, the former PSV Eindhoven man has faced flak among some supporters for his overall contributions.
But Mac Allister reckons that the criticism that Gakpo has been hit with has been unwarranted. Speaking on the Official Liverpool FC Podcast, the former Reds midfielder said: “There is slight sympathy for Cody.
“When things are not going well, he can be unfairly criticised. I think he is an easy target. He puts a right shift in, sometimes doesn’t get the credit he is worthy of. Listen, he’s having quite a productive season in terms of goals.
“He is kind of predictable; he’s right-footed and comes in off the left, the gao opens up and he’ll take the opportunity. He’s maybe not as productive as last season but is still contributing this season in front of goal. He showed good character because he misses a glaring opportunity. It has come a long way, he’s been watching and watching it, he’s four or five yards out, fluffs his lines and everyone goes ‘Uhhh’ then he gets booked two or three minutes after.
“A bad little four or five minutes then you’re thinking: ‘Please don’t take him off’ then he goes and gets his goal. Listen, I’m a Cody fan and he’s such a nice lad as well.”
Gakpo is expected to keep his starting spot when Liverpool travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night. Speaking on the winger at his pre-match press conference, head coach Arne Slot said: "I don't judge them only on the goals they score. I judge them on different things as well. Attackers are also judged on the fact if we keep a clean sheet as defenders are judged on the fact if we can score from open play because they have to create promising situations for our attackers.
"But for our attackers, I know how they think and what they want, and that is scoring goals. I was happy because it was the 4-1 goal so that gave us an even more comfortable cushion, but even more happy for him to score because I think he needed that goal.
"I don't think his confidence was gone or away in that regard, but I did see a few times recently that he maybe made different decisions that I'm used to from him. That doesn't always have to mean it's a lack of confidence. But when players are not scoring for a longer and longer (time) they start to think more about their direction, and overthinking is not the best thing you can do.
"I think that's something different to confidence. These players, whether it's Cody or Mo or whoever, they know they can have a certain spell without scoring. They've had it before in their careers and they know they will eventually start scoring again.
"There are periods of time where you don't put that much effort in and the ball just falls to you and you can score, and there are periods of time in your career where you try so hard, so hard and try too hard and overthink, and that's usually not the best thing to do if you want to score a goal.”
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