Image Credits: Imago Images
Just as it looked like Liverpool had turned a corner, Arne Slot’s men took a heavy hit at Molineux as Wolves handed his side a sobering 2-1 defeat on Tuesday night.
It wasn’t just the result that stung, but the manner of it – a flat, disjointed Liverpool display that never truly convinced, even when the scoreline suggested they were in the game. Basic elements the Reds normally hang their hat on – intensity, structure, control of transitions – were badly lacking, with Wolves looking sharper and hungrie.
Too many Liverpool players hid, too many passes went astray, and there was a glaring absence of creativity or cutting edge as the visitors laboured through the contest.
Steven Gerrard did not mince his words in the aftermath, calling out just how off the pace Liverpool looked for the majority of the night, and he has urged Arne Slot to start Rio Ngumoha in the FA Cup tie later this week on Friday:
“For 65 minutes Liverpool were desperate tonight, really poor,” Gerrard said on TNT Sports.
“They didn’t create enough and they didn’t play at the right speed or tempo. They didn’t have enough quality.
“He has to start Ngumoha now. He has to start because he’s coming on and he’s doing more in a short cameo, a short space of time, than [Cody] Gakpo’s doing in 65-70 minutes.”
“He deserves a start now. He’s got to start the kid on Friday.”
Slot now has a big decision to make. Stick with seniority and hope for a reaction, or ride the fearlessness of youth and throw Ngumoha in from the start. Either way, the travelling fans will demand a very different Liverpool for the second trip to the Molineaux.
“He has to start Rio Ngumoha now!”
Steven Gerrard calls for Arne Slot to give the youngster a chance ⭐
🎙 @lynseyhipgrave1 | 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/4TRjC5BiOY
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 3, 2026
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