Gakpo: I am still learning and developing my game   

Not good enough. Danns should start ahead of him now.

1 hour ago, TD_LFC said:

Giving off massive shit house vibes when he was our only viable striker last season having got here and being thrust into a new position then  scoring 13 goals having played left, right, central and midfield this season for the benefit of the team.

 

Seems to lack people who'll go to bat for him and say everything else needs to change instead of being the one to fill in and perform where the team needs him.

Filling in in various positions has nothing to do with him being a coward. He doesn't want to be kicked and will do all he can to avoid it.  He's a shithouse. There's a few of them you see in the game now and again, but not many. Before him in just about 50 years of watching Liverpool, I've seen 2 play for us. He won't fix that, it's in his nature. 

Yeah he's shite. 

I still think it's a bit harsh the stick he's getting to be honest. He was a few missed chances off getting a hat-trick last game and now some of you think he's just shit and that's it.

His confidence can't be high because he's not getting regular starts, he's mainly been our 5th choice attacking player and he's been played in several different positions so can't have found it easy to settle anywhere either. He's mostly been used as a cup player but today he comes on in the 77th minute and he seems to be getting a lot of anger directed at him as if he'd played most of the first 90 and was mainly responsbile for us not getting the game won. Maybe we should've had that 3rd goal before he even came on? And maybe today was where things finally caught up with us regarding injuries and players generally being tired and not at their best.

Either way I doubt we'll ever see him at his best if he's moved around like this and spending so much time coming off the bench in the league. I was feeling similar to this not long back about Nunez though and wondered if he was going to make it. Maybe Gakpo can be ok eventually too but I agree that now's the time for him to be trying his best especially with Jota out so he has more chances.

If he doesn't improve before the end of this season though and then a new manager doesn't give him enough time I doubt it's down to him being shit or whatever and that he'll do well at another club in the future. Hopefully that's not at another PL club if so and like I thought with Nunez too I also think that if any other club gives him regular starts in a position he can get settled in he could be great.

Nunez and Gakpo seem like players that need to be a main part of their teams and settled and it's also why I get frustrated wanting them to click with each other properly because if they can I think they could both be amazing.

Maybe everyone's boy Diogo should be a bit more of a coward and should want to be kicked a little less. 

Just now, 3 Stacks said:

Maybe everyone's boy Diogo should be a bit more of a coward and should want to be kicked a little less. 

It's a shame he's injured, I think we'd have maybe won if he wasn't.

The lack of just wanting to run & press was doing my head in watching him. As soon as he came on it was like he’d been playing the whole match & had no energy 

The issue is that he's starting to stick out like a sore thumb at the moment in terms of players who are not offering much, or performing at a level that is below the others.

It does feel harsh given he has scored some goals this season especially in the League Cup run, but today he was awful. He needs to be more dynamic, more front footed and in short, quicker. 

He's not as explosive as he looked when he first joined us. 

11 hours ago, Barrington Womble said:

 

Filling in in various positions has nothing to do with him being a coward. He doesn't want to be kicked and will do all he can to avoid it.  He's a shithouse. There's a few of them you see in the game now and again, but not many. Before him in just about 50 years of watching Liverpool, I've seen 2 play for us. He won't fix that, it's in his nature. 

I think that’s harsh and hopefully you’re wrong.

Mark Gonzalez and Raul Miereles would have fitted that bill for me in the thankfully distant past. 

21 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

I think that’s harsh and hopefully you’re wrong.

 

Mark Gonzalez and Raul Miereles would have fitted that bill for me in the thankfully distant past. 

i don't think gonzalez or miereles were bad shithouses, although miereles had his moments. for me it is cheyrou and markovic. i have never seen bigger cowards on the pitch. but gakpo does a stunning impression. 

10 hours ago, Red Phoenix said:

 

It's a shame he's injured, I think we'd have maybe won if he wasn't.

100% we win that if Jota comes on instead on that waste of air. 

We spend more time wishing Jota was fit than him being fit.

His head's not right - he was ponderous and failed to move the ball on quickly (the way we'd been doing earlier with success). He killed every attack and then Darwin started playing erratically as well, and Elliot also started to overthink things and choose the wrong option. At that point we were royally fucked.

As someone said earlier, Danns is more of a fighter, and seems mentally more robust. We may have signed a skillful player in Gakpo but one who could prove to just be a shrinking violet.

45 minutes ago, Redder Lurtz said:

100% we win that if Jota comes on instead on that waste of air. 

I'm not being as harsh on Gakpo but agree that Jota being on might've done it. Even if not in normal time having him mostly fresh for the next 30 mins could've been too much for them as long as he got good enough chances.

It's great to read that he might be back in a few weeks too after checking, I thought he was mostly done for the season. The thought of him playing again from early next month makes me feel a lot more optimistic about us consistently getting enough goals to win something else.

Yes he is struggling no doubt looks short of confidence but the level of vitriol on social media is way out of line what happened to best fans in der werld etc 

There’s definitely a player in there but he’s just not showing it at the moment. Extremely frustrating to watch.

15 hours ago, 3 Stacks said:

Maybe everyone's boy Diogo should be a bit more of a coward and should want to be kicked a little less. 

Funny thing is Jota was getting almost exactly the same criticism a few months back.

Yeah, mixed emotions about Gakpo for me too. 
 

He was bollocks yesterday and there’s been other times when the pace of things has looked a little bit too fast and frantic for him. 
 

But, I feel a bit for him too. He’s had games for us where there’s clearly been signs of ability. He strikes me as a player who can’t really change or influence a game with a handful of minutes here and there. Not like Núñez who’ll come on and cause chaos no matter how many minutes he’s playing (still fuming at him for his fuck up yesterday) or Jota who is also effective from the bench too. 
 

And therein lies the problem, long term, for him. Hasn’t been overly effective from the bench and seems better when starting in a run of games but he’s not doing enough when called upon to justify that starting berth. 
 

I think he might be gone in the summer. All depends on what the new manager wants though. 

Joby dats slow

On 17/03/2024 at 20:47, El Rojo said:

The Sparta Prague game isn’t relevant given how bad they were. He just doesn’t seem to be able to impose himself on games and gets muscled off the ball a lot for a big lad. 

 

Came on in huge games against both City and Man United and offered precious little. Hopefully he’s challenged on that by Klopp and that better follows, as he has huge ability.

Nailed it here. He does have ability, but the attitude is becoming more questionable by the day. Him missing chances or fucking up good opportunities to pass isn't even what annoys me about him.

It's the fact he usually doesn't impose himself in games. Too often lacks intensity and aggression. Even when fresh off the bench when he should be pressing every fucker with intent, he is ambling around while people who have played all game do the pressing. I know it feels flavour of the month to scapegoat him, but this has been going on for a few months now. Needs to buck up otherwise we'd be better off giving his minutes to someone like Danns.

21 hours ago, Red Phoenix said:

 

It's a shame he's injured, I think we'd have maybe won if he wasn't.

if Diogo was fit, we’d not only be at Wembley, we’d have beaten City and Arsenal, and be a solid 4-5 points ahead at the top.

unfortunately, he’s always been a package of two items. Goals and injuries.

On 18/03/2024 at 21:14, Red Shift said:

if Diogo was fit, we’d not only be at Wembley, we’d have beaten City and Arsenal, and be a solid 4-5 points ahead at the top.

unfortunately, he’s always been a package of two items. Goals and injuries.

Yeah he could've been one of the best strikers around if it wasn't for injuries. I was never that optimistic about this season with all of the changes we've made and still needing new/young forwards to get settled, it's a huge improvement over the mess of last season though so far and really happy that Klopp gets to leave with at least one trophy. If Jota can return soon maybe we can add to that too.

Two assists tonight and a dive that I was appalled it.

That kind of behaviour should be saved for Everton away in the 97th minute to win us a penalty and undeserved victory.

He’s been massively underwhelming lately, but, watching the story of our League cup run on LFCTV, he made a big, big contribution. It also reminded me of how good Curtis Jones was before his injury. 

I've been giving gakpo loads of shit, but that was more like it tonight. I'm sure lots will go overboard, but that should be a start. We need to see that level of attitude and urgency for the rest of the season.