Before Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool could humble Manchester United 7-0 at Anfield, a certain Paul Scholes shared his thoughts on the club’s new forward line.
The new kids on the block are the January capture from PSV Cody Gakpo and the club-record transfer from the summer in Darwin Nunez.
With rumours that Roberto Firmino is set to leave Liverpool in the summer, Scholes stated that he doesn’t think Gakpo is clever enough to play that number nine role like the Brazil star has been doing over the years.
Klopp likes that central player to drop deep, understand space, have the ability to work the ball in tight situations and help the two wide men sing in the final third.
Added to Gakpo, there is also Nunez powering his way down the left flank, but once again, Scholes felt that he is a player that ‘isn’t sharp enough’ and he did ‘worry’ about the player from a technical and finishing standpoint.
Well, all of that would have gone out of the window when Liverpool ran riot over Manchester United at Anfield, with the above duo scoring four goals between them.
Nonetheless, this is what Scholes had to initially say, as he told Premier League Productions (05/03/23 at 1:20 pm).
“He’s (Salah) a brilliant player,” said Scholes. “He’s one of them he’s hardly had a great season this year and he’s got 20 goals. He just wracks up the goals.
“Playing from that right-hand side, he is dangerous. But I still think he misses a really clever player to play with. Gakpo is the one to come in and do that, but he doesn’t look as clever as Firmino.
“I don’t think he (Klopp) has swapped like for like and that’s maybe where they are lacking a little bit. But he’s saying ‘they might take a bit of time’.
“Yeah, it might do. I think it will do for Nunez. He’s quick and he works hard. I do worry about his finishing technically and I am not sure he is sharp enough yet. But he’s a young player and that might come to him.”
LIVERPOOL’S NEW LEASE OF LIFE GOING FORWARD
The usual trio of Sadio Mane-Roberto Firmino-Mohamed Salah will be no more in the summer.
Salah will be the last one standing next season, but he has two new kids on the block that are ready to take the club back to their trophy-winning ways.
Given Klopp and Liverpool’s record with forward players, then those two will be absolutely fine next season and must-haves when it comes to Fantasy Premier League football.
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