Steve McManaman was unimpressed with a ‘lazy’ moment from one Liverpool player during the futile win over Atalanta in Bergamo on Thursday night.

The Reds won 1-0 in Italy but never truly looked like salvaging a Europa League tie which was ultimately put beyond their reach in a costly 0-3 first leg defeat at Anfield a week ago.

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Speaking on co-commentary for TNT Sports, the ex-LFC winger was annoyed at Cody Gakpo when, after being moved to the left wing in the second half, the 24-year-old tried to backheel a ball through two opposition players to the onrushing Andy Robertson, only to lose possession and see the home side break up the pitch.

Upon viewing that passage of play, McManaman raged (via TBR Football): “That was Gakpo giving the ball away, with a lazy flick in midfield. Liverpool have to be so much more careful because the way Atalanta play, you will be punished.”

READ MORE: ‘If you look…’ – Ex-Liverpool duo were left raging over first-half moment v Atalanta

READ MORE: Klopp may be quietly satisfied with one part of Liverpool’s night despite Europa League exit

That passage of play perhaps summed up Gakpo’s night against Atalanta – while the £120,000-per-week Dutchman diligently dropped deep into midfield and troubled the opposition at times with his running, ultimately he didn’t do enough when he had the ball.

As per Sofascore, he completed just 17 passes out of 24 attempted (71% success) during his 90 minutes on the pitch and didn’t record a shot all night, while his tally of 17 losses of possession was the third-highest among the Liverpool team.

That moment when he audaciously tried to play the ball to Robertson was overly casual and not what the Reds needed when they were still in search of two goals in the final half-hour of the tie.

While Gakpo most certainly shouldn’t be the fall guy for his side’s gross underperformance throughout both legs of the quarter-final – he was actually one of our better players in the thrashing at Anfield – errors of judgement like the one which enraged McManaman summed up LFC’s sloppiness.

It’s something that Jurgen Klopp’s side will need to correct in their final six games of the season if they’re to give the manager a happy send-off to his time at Liverpool next month.

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Liverpool tasted defeat for only the sixth time this season tonight, but none were as shocking or thoroughly deserved as the 3-0 thrashing by Atalanta at Anfield.

The Reds’ Europa League campaign is hanging by a threat after that appalling result and performance, and frankly too many of the players failed to get anywhere near the levels we know they’re capable of reaching.

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One of those to come in for criticism was Cody Gakpo, who was called out by Jay Bothroyd on Sky Sports News during the second half.

The ex-Blackburn striker said: “Gakpo needs to get involved in the game. He hasn’t done much at all.”

READ MORE: Journalist spotted what Klopp did after second Atalanta goal; didn’t get the desired response

READ MORE: (Image) Kelleher’s facial stars testify to heroic early save as he takes one for the team

Gakpo was actually one of Liverpool’s better performers on a wretched night, not that the bar was set especially high.

He was the only man in the starting XI to be given a rating higher than five in Ian Doyle’s damning post-match verdict in the Liverpool Echo, having enjoyed a promising start to the game with a few promising runs along the left flank before fading along with his team’s European hopes as the match progressed.

As per Sofascore, the Dutchman won a team-high 11 duels on the night, completed five of his six dribbles, played five key passes and drew four fouls, standing out as the one player who at least gave Atalanta something to think about when the tie was still in the balance.

Gakpo has had some frustrating performances in recent weeks, but tonight he was arguably the Liverpool player least deserving of criticism, which makes Bothroyd’s comments seem quite peculiar.

That’ll come as little consolation to the 24-year-old, though, with he and his teammates left with a rather sobering postmortem to conduct after a nightmare result.

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The Liverpool squad has every reason to be upset after a tough draw with Manchester United but in Ibou Konate and Cody Gakpo, it seems spirits are still high.

Thanks to the ‘Inside Training’ series on LFCTV Go, footage of the players has been shared and the duo clearly have a lot of love for each other.

READ MORE: (Video) Classic Robbo; Liverpool fans will crease at Mac Allister and Robertson training interaction

As we look ahead to a Europa League fixture at Anfield, this could be the perfect opportunity to put aside the stress of chasing down a Premier League title.

Let’s just hope for a relatively stress free performance, with similar scenes like this being seen after the full-time whistle.

You can view the footage of Konate and Gakpo courtesy of LFCTV Go (via @drwnunez on X):

ibou and gakpo pic.twitter.com/Dn5RKaS72B

— hae (@drwnunez) April 9, 2024

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Mo Salah has named two of his Liverpool teammates who he believes are vastly underrated outside of the confines of Anfield.

The Reds have had a number of standout performers throughout the Premier League title charge this season, although the Egyptian wanted to highlight a couple of players who he feels haven’t received due credit for their contributions to the team.

When asked in an interview with Stadium Astro which teammates he believes to be underrated, the 31-year-old replied: “I think Darwin [Nunez] and Cody [Gakpo].

“Cody doesn’t get credit from the fans, because I don’t know if they really understand his game or not, but he’s a very, very clever player. I admire the way he thinks; it’s very, very good. He’s young and he wants to learn. He asks a lot of questions, which is really good.

“Darwin is key for us as well. The way he plays, the way he opens space for us is very good, but he doesn’t get a lot of credit because once he misses a chance, others fans jump (on him) and Liverpool fans start defending him and he’s inside that mess. For me, [he’s] one of the best players on the team.”

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Although Gakpo and Nunez have both endured some frustrating performances of late, especially during Liverpool’s two visits to Old Trafford in the past month, both have still made significant contributions to our pursuit of multiple trophies this season.

The Dutchman has 14 goals in total this term, including four on the journey to Carabao Cup glory, while the Uruguay marksman has netted 18 times in 45 appearances across all competitions, including two stoppage time winners in the Premier League (Transfermarkt).

We firmly agree with Salah’s belief that his two fellow Reds attackers haven’t been given the credit that their overall performances have merited and can be easy target for fans’ and pundits’ opprobrium when chances go begging in the final third.

You can view Salah’s response in full below (from 3:50), via Stadium Astro on YouTube:

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Alexis Mac Allister was keen to change the subject when asked to reflect on Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Sheffield United.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion player turned the focus to fellow goalscorer Cody Gakpo to praise his work ethic.

“Let me say something: I’m really happy for this guy, he’s been working very hard and today he got his goal,” the Argentine told TNT Sports after the tie (via @Ghonday18).

“I’m very glad because he’s one of these guys that work very hard and he’s always positive and a good leader for the group.

“Very happy for him and for the team.”

The Dutch international has registered 19 goal contributions in 44 games this term – at a rate of one goal or assist every 124.63 minutes.

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READ MORE: James Pearce shares breaking Liverpool news the club has just announced

READ MORE: Gary Lineker absolutely blown away by what he’s seen from £35m Liverpool player vs Sheff Utd

Is Cody Gakpo getting the Darwin Nunez treatment?

The criticism of the former PSV star seems a little… shall we say harsh?

We’re not suggesting for a moment that Gakpo’s on Mo Salah’s level – or even that of Darwin Nunez’s – for performance, but to suggest he’s been short on quality or importance feels reactive.

His latest effort against Chris Wilder’s men certainly demonstrates how important he’s been off the bench for Liverpool at times this season.

In truth, it was exactly the kind of contribution we needed in a game of potentially huge significance in the title race.

Credit to Mac Allister for reminding fans not to underappreciate the 24-year-old.

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Several Liverpool players came good when needed as the Reds prevailed 3-1 against Sheffield United on Thursday night, with one journalist hailing a few contributions from Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The clinching goal came from Cody Gakpo in the 90th minute as he crashed a header past Ivo Grbic from a sumptuous Andy Robertson cross, and Ian Doyle was eager to praise the Dutchman, who came off the bench to good effect.

In his post-match analysis for the Liverpool Echo, the reporter wrote: “Andy Robertson was excellent in a cameo that saw him create the third goal headed home by Cody Gakpo who, after a few difficult performances, was superb in his showing.”

READ MORE: James Pearce shares breaking Liverpool news the club has just announced

READ MORE: Gary Lineker absolutely blown away by what he’s seen from £35m Liverpool player vs Sheff Utd

Having been pilloried over a costly moment in the FA Cup defeat at Manchester United last month, Gakpo’s 20-minute outing last night felt redemptive, and not just for the goal which eventually killed off the game as a contest.

As per Sofascore, the 24-year-old won four duels, executed three key passes, recorded two successful dribbles and notably completed every single pass that he played (13).

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The Dutchman might have shipped criticism over some recent displays but his form in front of goal has been decent, having netted twice in the 6-1 Anfield rout of Sparta Prague and posted three goals and an assist in his last six outings (effectively five games when considering that he had a token minute off the bench against Brighton last Sunday).

On a night when Mo Salah was rather subdued, Gakpo came good to settle any late nerves at Anfield. He could be needed a few more times over the coming weeks if there’s another game where it’s not quite happening for of his fellow Liverpool attackers.

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Watch out Trent Alexander-Arnold! Andy Robertson is on the prowl and hungry for assists.

The Scotland international delivered a sumptuous cross into the Sheffield United box, which Cody Gakpo duly dispatched with a deft header to kill the tie.

Three points on the board and the Reds find a way to top the leaderboard once more in the Premier League.

What a race this is proving to be!

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of beINSports:

| GOAL: Cody Gakpo adds a THIRD!!!

Liverpool 3-1 Sheffield United

pic.twitter.com/gPP6rU6qEv

— Transfer Sector (@TransferSector) April 4, 2024

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There might be another five days to go before Liverpool resume their Premier League campaign, but Reds fans could be kept busy tonight with a host of Reds players set to represent their countries.

No fewer than 13 members of Jurgen Klopp’s squad could be in action over the next 12 hours or so, with most partaking in friendlies but one hoping to punch a ticket to a major tournament this summer.

We’ve looked at the baker’s dozen of LFC players who’ll be on international duty this evening and tonight, picking out a series of compelling narratives involving a few of those set to take to the pitch for their country.

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Could Kostas be off to Germany?

At 5pm UK time, Georgia and Greece face off in Tbilisi, with both hoping to become the 22nd team to secure a place at Euro 2024.

Kostas Tsimikas will be in action for the visitors as he seeks a first major tournament appearance for his country, who last played on the big stage in the World Cup in Brazil a decade ago.

Should the Greeks qualify this evening, the Liverpool left-back could find himself up against clubmate Diogo Jota in the summer, as the winners of this match join Portugal, Turkey and Czechia in Group F at the finals in June.

READ MORE: Liverpool eyeing move for German prodigy; has one thing in common with 3 Reds youngsters

Another chance for Elliott to fill his boots…and finally get the nod from Southgate?

Harvey Elliott quite enjoyed his most recent outing with England’s under-21s, scoring twice in their 5-1 win away to Azerbaijan last Friday, which took them a step closer to qualification for the European finals in 2025 as they seek to retain the trophy.

The Liverpool gem will fancy his chances of adding to his international tally tonight as Lee Carsley’s side host Luxembourg, which could present an opportunity for another convincing victory.

If the 20-year-old nets another brace and continues his fine form at club level, he’ll surely become impossible for Gareth Southgate to ignore when selecting the Three Lions squad for Euro 2024 – or so you’d like to think.

Friendship set aside for a couple of hours

Conor Bradley spoke glowingly about the helpful advice he’s been receiving from fellow Liverpool full-back Andy Robertson, although their friendship and camaraderie will be put to one side for a couple of hours tonight.

The elder of the two will be on the home side as Scotland continue their preparations for Euro 2024 against Northern Ireland, with the young right-back set to win his 15th senior cap – nearly as many games as he’s played for the Reds’ first team.

We know that both men will be fully committed once they cross the white line – just go easy on each other if you find yourself duelling, lads!

READ MORE: Liverpool fans may be despairing over news that’s been confirmed today for Brighton clash

Could Liverpool duo be facing their next club boss?

We still don’t know who’ll be in charge of Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo at Liverpool next season, although one man who’s been touted as a possible successor to Klopp will be hoping to get one over on the Reds duo tonight.

Netherlands are in Frankfurt to take on Germany, who of course are under the stewardship of Julian Nagelsmann.

The ex-Bayern Munich manager has been touted among the contenders to potentially replace his fellow countryman in the Anfield dugout – will LFC’s Dutchmen be about to come up against their future boss?

A nervous night awaits by the Mediterranean

From a potential future Liverpool manager to the current one…Klopp will be crossing his fingers that all of his players come through the night unscathed, and he may be keeping an especially nervous eye on one man in particular.

Ibrahima Konate missed the Reds’ last three matches with a hamstring injury, although it’s been reported that he’s set to feature for France in their game against Chile in Marseille (Daily Mail).

His club boss won’t be overly keen on seeing the 24-year-old lining out in an international friendly so soon after being sidelined, and with a hectic and pivotal run-in to the season just around the corner.

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Cody Gakpo proved instrumental in the Netherlands’ friendly meeting with Scotland in the international break.

The Dutchman registered two assists (including one for former Liverpool midfielder Gini Wijnaldum) as the hosts thrashed Andy Robertson and Co. 4-0.

All was more than amicable after the 90 minutes between the pair, of course, with the two Reds spotted swapping shirts inside the stadium.

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of the KNVB’s official channel (via @404NUNEZ):

cody and robbo swapped shirts after the game 🥹🥹 pic.twitter.com/r8X9ajvPrx

— el (@404NUNEZ) March 23, 2024

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Mo Salah has been Liverpool’s top goalscorer for each of the last six seasons, and he leads the way again this campaign after netting his 21st in all competitions during last Sunday’s FA Cup defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The Egyptian is likely to claim top spot again but which Red will be up there with him? This article assesses our forward players as Jurgen Klopp’s men strive to lift the Premier League and Europa League trophies in May.

Having already claimed the Carabao Cup, the Reds will be aiming to make it a memorable treble before the German’s emotional departure from Anfield.

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The Names in the Frame

Liverpool have already scored more than 100 goals across the Premier League, Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup this season. Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz have ably supported sharp-shooter Salah in firing the Reds to numerous wins all season. Here’s a look at how each attacker has fared so far in 2023/24

Football fans keen to back their favourite Liverpool players for the top scorer award, can assess scores and odds before placing a wager. This allows bettors to make an informed decision based on the stats and results recorded throughout the season.

Darwin Nunez

The Uruguayan is enjoying his second season on Merseyside since joining from Benfica in the summer of 2022 and currently has 17 goals to his name in all competitions.

A player who can miss a glaring opportunity and then net a stunning strike moments later, Nunez has started to find more consistency for Liverpool and has scored six goals in his last seven matches for the club.

Currently second in the scoring charts, as LFC’s leading centre-forward, he will be determined to have his name in lights alongside Salah in the final tally at the end of the season.

READ MORE: Liverpool ‘interested’ in 25y/o who’s wanted by EPL rivals as potential ‘plan B’

Diogo Jota

The forward has only made 28 appearances this season due to injury but has still recorded a goal tally of 14. With a strike rate of one every 112 minutes, Jota is a key player for Liverpool and is set to return to action following the international break.

A versatile option across all of the forward positions, the 27-year-old combines skill with a relentless work-rate, and he regularly finds himself popping up in the right place at the right time.

The Portugal international’s comeback is a boost for Klopp, and seemingly capable of scoring whether starting or coming on from the bench, he will be confident of netting as many as Nunez during the vital run-in.

Cody Gakpo

Gakpo has been a big plus for Liverpool since joining from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023, mixing pace with guile to provide the team with a new dimension upfront.

The Netherlands international has scored a total of 20 goals for the Reds, with 13 in this campaign, hitting a brace in the emphatic 6-1 victory over Sparta Prague in the Europa League.

Already making more than 40 Liverpool appearances this term by March, the 24-year-old has now played in the Premier League for more than a year and is adept at several different types of finish.

With two months of the season remaining, the attacker’s input is set to be key as the Reds navigate their two most important competitions of the campaign domestically and on the continent.

Luis Diaz

Liverpool’s number 7 has chipped in with an important 11 goals so far this season and will play an integral role for the remainder of the campaign.

Boasting neat skill and clever movement in and around the penalty box, the Colombia international can find the net and is also the perfect foil for his teammates, creating space and energy in the final third to open up opposition defences.

Diaz netted important goals in Liverpool’s opening Premier League games against Chelsea and Bournemouth last August and will be hoping to have the same impact in the matches at the business end of the campaign.

READ MORE: ‘Eberl told me…’ – Christian Falk shares what Bayern chief has said to him about Jurgen Klopp

Who Will be King of Liverpool Assists?

Salah and Nunez have recorded the most assists for Liverpool this season, teeing up 12 goals each. While the Egyptian is often regarded as the Reds’ talisman and so often delivers when the team needs him most, the numbers prove how crucial the Uruguayan is in how Klopp’s team set up at home and in Europe.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, so effective and a constant assists supplier, has recorded nine during a season which has included spells in midfield, while Harvey Elliott’s swift eye for a pass has seen him set up seven goals. Alexis McAllister, who is equally adept at playing the ball through the eye of a needle, has six assists while Conor Bradley has recorded the same number in just 18 appearances.

Summing Up

Nunez is scoring goals at a regular rate and is having an important impact alongside Salah. As it stands, he’s likely to push the Egyptian King for the title of Reds’ top scorer for 2023/24, but Jota, Gakpo and Diaz will all have a huge say during the remaining two months of the campaign.

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Cody Gakpo has come in for some serious criticism since Liverpool were knocked out of the FA Cup.

Jamie Carragher unhelpfully tweeted that the Dutchman plays football like it’s in slow-motion during Gakpo’s dire cameo that saw Liverpool lose control of the game.

There can be no debate: he was bad. Most of the criticism has revolved around him messing up a five on two counter-attack when Liverpool were 2-1 up and cruising. He played the ball slightly behind Harvey Elliott who had to check his run, but to be fair, if Conor Bradley had overlapped on the right-hand side he’d have been able to square it for a tap-in.

"Surely Gakpo was the bad one " fuvk y'all ffs pic.twitter.com/pq0orLW26p

— •Aviero LFC🥷 (@aviero_lfc) March 18, 2024

Gakpo just lacked any bite or running, which is the opposite of what Jurgen Klopp expects from his attackers. This is probably why the manager spent much of the second-half berating Gakpo from the sidelines.

One of the issues is that he’s the antithesis of Darwin Nunez when it comes to perceived effort.

The Uruguayan often does silly things. He makes bad decisions, his touch can let him down and as his giving of the ball away in Extra Time for Manchester United’s equaliser proved, he’s more than capable of a big error in big moments. (In fairness, he’s also capable of huge goals in big moments, too). 

But fans, especially those watching Nunez live, forgive him his mistakes because of the frenetic energy he inserts into the team. He undeniably makes football exciting, even when he’s playing badly; and he makes it absolute box-office when he’s on-song. Nunez is often described as chaos, but this is a lazy word. It’s more that he’s always involved and does things at breakneck speed. The accusation of ‘going missing’ can never be directed his way, even if criticism of his game-intelligence certainly can be.

There’s also the element of Nunez overcoming his early problems and overt media scrutiny. Only Mo Salah, Erling Haaland and Ollie Watkins have more goals/assists than him this season in all competitions. He’s come good, which tugs at the heartstrings a little more as he’s so openly emotional. You can see what it means to him. You can see the running. His celebrations are better than anybody else’s.

Gakpo is so different. He’s cool, calm and composed. He doesn’t rush things. His touch is usually excellent and his technique is effortless and natural. He doesn’t miss the sitters Nunez does, but he doesn’t make the runs to get in those positions either. Gakpo is, to put it unsubtly, more boring than Nunez – so when he actually has a shocker – it feels like a bigger crime, because there’s a misconception that he hasn’t tried.

Of course he has. He’s a top-class professional footballer. He’s just so different in style to our other forwards. Like Nunez, Luis Diaz runs and works insanely hard. Also like his fellow South American, Diaz struggles with easy finishes, which for some reason makes him more endearing after the effort he’s put in to get there. Diogo Jota is a killer and a fighter and his finishing ability means he’s always respected even when he has a nothing-game. The reality is though, Jota is extremely injury prone. There’s no getting away from that. Mo Salah is Mo Salah. It’s almost unfair on the rest of our attackers to be compared to the Egyptian.

Gakpo is not having a bad season. Not by a long stretch. He’s been used up top, on the right, on his favoured left or as a no.8 in midfield. He often comes off the bench in one of these positions and is expected to have read and adjusted to the game-state. Despite playing in different positions, he’s scored 13 goals and got four assists in all competitions. Considering he’s our fifth choice forward, this is an unbelievable return. In Sadio Mane’s first full season at Liverpool, when everyone was wowed by his ability, he scored 13 goals in total, one year older than Gakpo is now.

A lot of Gakpo’s tidy work goes unnoticed, as it’s the stuff just outside of the box, or in the buildup to the final pass. He’s a very, very good player. He just had a stinker at Old Trafford in a game where his team-mates also lost their heads. If Klopp really wanted to get the best out of him, he’d play him on the left-wing every week and he’d build confidence and rhythm.

It’s not Klopp’s job from now until the end of the season to develop Gakpo though; it’s to win games for Liverpool – and there can be no complaints that he’s choosing Diaz on that flank. Gakpo’s versatility, but also the strengths of his team-mates have made it harder for him to secure the same spot in the side.

The irony is that a combination of Gakpo and Nunez’s best traits would make the perfect striker. Nunez’s unbelievable pace, runs, energy and intensity. Gakpo’s touch, deftness, ability to drop into space and shooting. What a player! Sadly, each has things they’re not very good at and it’s personal preference which set of traits frustrate more.

I’m drawn towards forgiving Nunez more readily because I love the emotion and excitement he provides, but I feel the hate Gakpo has received for essentially one bad match is absurd.

Let’s back them both. Back them all. There’s a Premier League to be won, and both will be crucial in getting it done.

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Ian Wright was critical of one Liverpool player following the FA Cup exit against Manchester United on Sunday.

The Reds twice relinquished winning positions to end up losing 4-3 after extra time and bowing out of the competition, and the ITV Sport pundit felt that one of Jurgen Klopp’s substitutes failed to have the desired impact.

The ex-Arsenal striker said: “Obviously they’re going to be disappointed with it because he [Klopp] said there were chances in that game where Liverpool could’ve finished it off, but the final ball and finishing weren’t really great.

“I didn’t think Cody Gakpo did too much when he came on, but at the same time you’ve got to get over this.”

Liverpool carried a 2-1 lead into the second half of normal time and dominated for large spells, but couldn’t make the most of it on the scoreboard and duly paid the price.

Gakpo will be having nightmares over the five-on-two breakaway when, with three teammates in space to his right, he delayed far too long in making the pass to Harvey Elliott, whose subsequent decision-making with the ball was also to our cost.

The £120,000-per-week Dutchman lost possession seven times in total and came out second best in six of his 10 duels yesterday (Sofascore), so there’ll be aspects of his game that he knows he can improve going forward.

However, it most certainly doesn’t excuse the vitriolic abuse he’s been receiving on social media. The 24-year-old is still a hugely valuable contributor to this Liverpool team, and we’re sure he’ll bounce back quickly.

You can view Wright’s comments below (from 3:47) via ITV Sport on YouTube:

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Liverpool fans will be feeling bad enough after watching our side lose to Manchester United in the FA Cup but Jurgen Klopp has made matters worse.

Speaking with ITV Sport after the match, the boss said: “Now the boys go on international duty, we hope they come back healthy.

“Lucho [Diaz] felt his groin, Darwin hamstring. Cody twisted his ankle. They play again in four or five days, it’s crazy. Hopefully we will finish the season in style. I really feel for our people.”

READ MORE: (Video) Klopp’s post-match interview exit is being horribly misunderstood

It’s a terrifying injury update from the German as we are now sweating on the availability of three of our four remaining attacking options.

With only Mo Salah, who’s coming back from a fitness problem himself, remaining – it’s looking like the international break may have come at the perfect time.

You can watch Klopp’s comments via @itvfootball on X:

"I saw a team losing today with fantastic character. We're here again in a few weeks. Let's see what we can do then"

There will be no Wembley return for Jurgen Klopp before he leaves @LFC at the end of the season

@gabrielclarke05 #EmiratesFACup | #MUNLIV pic.twitter.com/EXMzRqsVvM

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) March 17, 2024

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Liverpool fans will be reeling from watching our team be knocked out of the FA Cup and Jamie Carragher was rather critical of one player.

Taking to X, the Scouser wrote: ‘Gakpo plays like the game is in slow motion.’

It wasn’t the greatest impact from the Dutchman, losing possession seven times in the 43 minutes he was on the pitch (via Sofascore) and criticism was shared by other supporters.

READ MORE: (Image) Liverpool fans will be surprised to see 44-year-old pictured in Old Trafford crowd

Cody Gakpo is certainly a talented player but it wasn’t a swashbuckling performance from the attacker when he came onto the pitch.

It was clear that our former defender wasn’t impressed with our No.18 and the fact that the Reds went on to lose the game certainly didn’t help.

Darwin Nunez is such an all-action striker that when we see the former PSV captain take his place, it can make him look even more like the game is in slow motion.

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However, there’s no reason to be overly critical of a player who has 13 goals and 5 assists in all competitions this season.

It’s just up to the player to prove to everyone why he deserves the game time that Jurgen Klopp is providing him.

You can view Carragher’s comments on Gakpo via @Carra23 on X:

Gakpo plays like the game is in slow motion.

— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) March 17, 2024

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The post Carragher criticises 24-y/o who played in ‘slow motion’ at Old Trafford appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

The pursuit of excellence at Liverpool left one of Jurgen Klopp’s men a little upset at the full-time whistle.

Cody Gakpo was visibly frustrated after the Reds’ 11-2 aggregate win over Sparta Prague was confirmed and had to be consoled by Dominik Szoboszlai.

The Dutch international had, in fairness, been on for a hat-trick in a dominant display from the hosts at Anfield in the Europa League.

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of TNT Sports:

FT: Liverpool 6-1 Sparta Prague (11-2 agg)

Jürgen Klopp's side progress to the #UEL quarter-finals in emphatic fashion ‍ pic.twitter.com/w0iLDuhMrK

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

The post (Video) 24-y/o Liverpool player visibly upset at FT after humbling Sparta Prague appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.