Sport
Cody Gakpo is the perfect successor to Firmino
It was always destined Cody Gakpo would score for Liverpool against Manchester United given how close the Dutchman came to signing for the Old Trafford club instead. Indeed, United were made to watch as Gakpo found the back of the net twice in Liverpool’s 7-0 demolition of their biggest rivals on Sunday.
Several Liverpool players including Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Harvey Elliott caught the eye, but Gakpo arguably shone brighter than anyone else in red. The 23-year-old was a driving force for Jurgen Klopp’s team, demonstrating his finishing ability with two exceptional goals in either half.
Gakpo’s impressive performance against Manchester United came just days after Roberto Firmino’s impending exit from Liverpool at the end of the season was confirmed and so it was apt that he provided evidence to suggest he will be the perfect successor to the outgoing Brazilian. Gakpo might even be an upgrade.
The former PSV Eindhoven attacker frequently dropped deep into the centre of the pitch to create space for Darwin Nunez and Salah ahead of him. This, of course, is something Firmino did at his peak for Liverpool and Gakpo has shown he could be deployed in a similar way to facilitate his teammates in quick transition.
Technically, Gakpo has the ability to play quick passes to give Liverpool a foothold in possession. Against United, the Netherlands international conducted attacks, but also played his role on the ball when Liverpool attempted to control the contest. Gakpo has the all-round game to be used in a number of different ways and that’s similar to Firmino.
In the air, Gakpo is a threat just as Firmino is with the Dutchman standing at 6ft 3”. Klopp has Nunez to use through the middle as a centre forward, but Gakpo can also be deployed there as a focal point to find with crosses. Physically, Gakpo is a more obvious threat than Firmino ever was, but there is overlap in their qualities.
Where Gakpo offers a different dimension to Firmino is in his ability to drive inside from the wing. The 23-year-old’s opening goal against Manchester United showcased this with Gakpo attacking the left half-space to get a shot away into the bottom corner of David de Gea’s net. Liverpool fans should get used to seeing that sort of thing.
“I think that position of a false 9 is Firmino’s,” Van Dijk said after the 7-0 win. “He is the one that showed over the years how difficult it is for any other player to perform it but also for others to defend that. As a player, you can’t deny how important he is for the success that we had; for Mo [Salah], for Sadio [Mane] in the past but also for the players that still are here, for example, in Cody [Gakpo] to learn from him each and every day.
While Sunday was a glorious day for Liverpool, they are still in the midst of a rebuild. Klopp must address a number of issues within his squad this summer with at least one new central midfielder sure to be on the shopping list for the transfer window. Defensively, the Reds also have problems even if they weren’t on display against Manchester United.
Some progress has already been made in the rebuild and that is most evident in the attacking third. Nunez continues to demonstrate his potential as an agent of chaos, but Klopp will have to evolve his approach to get the best out of the Uruguayan. Gakpo, on the other hand, could fill the boots of a Liverpool legend.
