[ad_1]
The standout player in Holland’s 2-1 Euro 2024 opener against Poland was Cody Gakpo. And as many fans and journalists have since realized, he played on the left wing.
This should not be a shock or sudden moment of football discovery.
For most of his career, left wing has been Gakpo’s most natural home. It’s just that until today in Liverpool, we could hardly see him staying in it.
First, the numbers.
During his time at PSV Eindhoven, where Gakpo became a regular in the 2018/19 season, 117 of his 158 appearances in all competitions came from that side.
Furthermore, in the first half of the 2022/23 season – a period in which he leapfrogged from exciting talent to Europe’s leading striker – Gakpo scored 13 and assisted 17 in just 24 matches in all competitions. They all play on the left side of the front three.
With the Netherlands, he played almost half of his matches there, a lower number largely due to Ronald Koeman’s previous preference for a wing-back system that saw Gakpo play as a reverse attacking midfielder.
That could be something we see against more ominous opponents this Euro.
Square wedge as no. 9
At the last World Cup, after that incredible run by PSV, Gakpo was the top scorer and star of the turbulent Oranje team, who is mostly remembered for his clever free-kick routine against Argentina, playing as a centre-forward for the incompetent Memphis Depay.
It is perhaps the lasting memory of that tournament that convinced Jurgen Klopp not only to accelerate plans to sign Gakpo next January, leading Man United in the process, but also to tap the Eindhoven man as a solution to his centre-forward conundrum.
With Roberto Firmino set to leave at the end of the season, Diogo Jota struggling with injuries and Darwin Nunez still in bed, it seemed a reasonable short-term solution.
However, for the rest of Klopp’s tenure, it arguably became a long-term blind spot.
Those who argued that Gakpo was the ideal successor to Firmino may not have fully understood where on the pitch he delivered the numbers that made Liverpool spend £37m on him in the first place.
Indeed, while Gakpo emerged as an important member of Liverpool’s squad last campaign, only 22 per cent of his 53 appearances came on the left wing.
It was clear that Klopp favored the added trick of Luis Diaz, but with the Colombian’s eight goals in total and five assists in the league the same as Gakpo, should the latter have been given more of a chance in that role?
As the season wore on, the shockwaves of criticism on the Richter scale increased, with some fans growing frustrated with Gakpo’s inconsistency and inability to recreate the goal-scoring form talked about from his time in the Eredivisie.
However, can a player really show such consistency when asked to play up to five different positions over the course of a season?
Gakpo was released
That opening match of the Netherlands in Hamburg will be remembered for two things.
The first was the outstanding Dutch support before the game. The other was Gakpo’s performance which, for 81 minutes, was as clear a demonstration as could be hoped for of his natural position on the pitch.
In a 4-2-3-1 formation, Gakpo was the channel through which all Dutch attacks came.
At times, such as in their last pre-season match, the team can be guilty of naturally leaning towards playing more on the opposite flank due to the attack of full-back Denzel Dumfries.
But not on this occasion. Whether playing against a deep defensive block or attacking fast on the break, Gakpo was at the center. In addition to the tying goal, he created three chances, completed all five tackles and had over 50 touches. Interestingly, eight of them were in the opponent’s penalty area.
Recently in football we have a habit of defining wingers in two ways: those who like to cut inside and those who prefer to drop the ball outside and get to the line.
In Gakpo, Holland and Liverpool have a player who can do both. He is strong on both sides, equally adept at crossing to the left or dangerously cutting inside to shoot or find a teammate on the right.
With the Orange, he often looks for a quick one-two with the center forward before breaking into the box, or for a clever lifted pass to a rampant Dumfries coming in from the right.
What can he really offer?
Obviously, Gakpo is not lightning fast. However, he is technically excellent, physically strong and a wonderful footballer. It can be both intricate and direct – equally the artist’s brush and the builder’s hammer.
The goal he scored against Poland led to a huge backlash, but there is a whole catalog of examples of fierce shots off the pitch after cutting inside.
Similarly, his confidence on the ball and understanding of space means he rarely runs or passes into dead ends, while his natural height and long stride mean he can still separate himself from players.
That height probably means he should have more than just six headed goals at club level, but it’s also another possible weapon, a late cross at the back post.
And the exciting thing for Liverpool fans, despite the loss of Klopp, is that their new manager should in theory know exactly how to use Gakpo.
As previously written, Arne Slott traditionally prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation that requires a combination of intensity, intelligence, strength and versatility.
Therefore, Gakpo appears to be just the type of winger that Slott values – players who can be influential in one-on-one situations, are dynamic, progressive on the ball and link up well when overloading full-backs.
World class potential
The former Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar coach will know the 2022/23 Dutchman of the Year well and may see him as a key player, effective both in moments of quick transition and finding holes in solid defensive walls.
There have been rumors that Liverpool need to dive into the transfer market to sign a replacement should Diaz leave. They should return the company card to their wallet or spend it elsewhere. The replacement is already in the team.
There is no reason why Gakpo cannot become a world-class striker at Anfield. However, in order for him to become the star that many predicted, he must first be put in the right place to shine.
* This is a guest article for This Is Anfield by Joe Baker from Oranje. Follow on Twitter @BakerJoe21 and @TheOranje1.
[ad_2]
