Pundit Jermaine Jenas Expresses Perplexity After Cody Gakpo’s First-Half Performance for Liverpool Against Wolverhampton Wanderers

Cody Gakpo appeared to be ‘lost’ as Liverpool struggled during the first half against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, according to pundit Jermaine Jenas, who shared his observations with TNT Sports as Liverpool visited Molineux. Liverpool had a lackluster first half and fell behind to Hwang Hee-chan’s goal following a brilliant run by Pedro Neto.

Jenas specifically highlighted Cody Gakpo, noting that he seemed uncertain about his positioning on the pitch. He suggested that Gakpo looked ‘lost’ and was not making enough runs into the box for a central striker.

“Gakpo, I’m watching him… he’s running around like he doesn’t know where to be. He’s had seven touches in the game, the fewest out of any player on the pitch so far.

If it’s somebody like Nunez, you go ‘he’s just going to make runs in behind,’ and I know as a midfield player that I’m going to put it into the channel for him to chase, we’ll get up the pitch, win a few corners, we’ll help each other out. I’m watching him and he just looks lost. Even now, he should be in the six-yard box for a tap-in,” Jenas remarked.

Cody Gakpo, who joined Liverpool for a significant fee of £37 million, rising to £40 million, from PSV Eindhoven in January, has shown promise but still appears to be adjusting to the Premier League, given the leap in quality from the Eredivisie.

Jurgen Klopp will be aiming to enhance Gakpo’s consistency in the coming matches. Additionally, Gakpo faces stiff competition in various positions, with players like Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, and others vying for roles in the squad. The intense competition for places at Liverpool may require Gakpo to elevate his performance to secure a starting position.