Rio Ngumoha was the star of the show as Liverpool beat Wolves in the FA Cup on Friday and Arne Slot now has a decision to make
Rio Ngumoha of Liverpool and Arne Slot manager / head coach of Liverpool as he comes off during the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool at Molineux
Rio Ngumoha has given Liverpool boss Arne Slot a decision to make(Image: Getty)
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Rio Ngumoha's emergence has been one of the most exciting parts of the season for Liverpool supporters. Since arriving from Chelsea's academy, the young winger has been surrounded by chatter.
He made his Premier League debut last August and marked it with a winning goal against Newcastle. The young winger has become commonplace on Slot's bench, but in recent weeks he has really started to shine.
Ngumoha's cameo at the end of a bitter 2-1 defeat to Wolves on Tuesday was so promising that Reds icon Steven Gerrard sang his praises and demanded manager Slot start him in the following game. In the wake of Tuesday's defeat to Wolves, Gerrard told TNT Sports: "[Slot] has to start Ngumoha now.
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"He has to start him because he's coming on and he's doing more in a short cameo in a short space of time than [Cody] Gakpo's doing in 65, 70 minutes. He deserves to start now."
Slot acted and the youngster started on the left wing for the FA Cup rematch against Wolves on Friday – and Ngumoha didn't disappoint. The teenager was handed Player of the Match honours for a direct performance in the 3-1 victory, during which he led the team in successful dribbles and duels won.
The question now is, how often does Ngumoha start going forward? Slot already has a host of talent to choose from but needs to ensure Ngumoha has a pathway to more first-team action.
In his last few cameos off the bench, Ngumoha has played on the left, often with Cody Gakpo, Slot's apparent first-choice in the position, either being substituted or shifting into a central role. The simplest switch Slot could make would be to drop Gakpo, but the Dutchman faces yet another dilemma when Alexander Isak returns from his lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Before his injury setback, much of the Liverpool selection talk was around whether Hugo Ekitike and Isak would both start in the long term. They cost £79million and £125million respectively, so it is assumed Slot will want both on the pitch as often as possible.
During Isak's absence, Ekitike has proven undroppable and this will likely remain the case when the Swede returns. If both play, Slot likes to utilise Ekitike on the left, where he operates as a wide second striker.
This logjam will only compound Slot's nightmare regarding Ngumoha, as it is unlikely he'd opt to displace either Isak or Ekitike with the young Englishman, let alone the far more experienced Gakpo.
Another option the Reds boss could take is shifting Ngumoha out to the right. He is right-footed, though a lot of his mazy runs and brilliant inverted wide play rely on him cutting in off the left.
However, he is capable of playing the position and with Mohamed Salah reaching the twilight of his career, this could be where Ngumoha comes into his own as a starter. A front three of Ekitike, Isak and Ngumoha, with the creativity of Florian Wirtz in behind, could be a viable spearhead for Slot, who no doubt is spoilt for choice.
With the development of one of the country's most exciting young talents at stake, it is a problem the Liverpool boss needs to find a solution to.
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