Ian Rush has admitted Cody Gakpo may have to become a more selfish player if he is to get his Liverpool career up and running.
The Dutch international has failed to score in any of his first six appearances since joining the club at the start of the January transfer window. Optimism was in the air upon the announcement of this deal, having demonstrated his goalscoring ability at PSV both last season and in the early stages of the current campaign.
Gakpo left his boyhood club with an impressive nine goals and 12 assists to his name from 14 league appearances in 2022/23, though has been guilty of snatching at opportunities that have come his way since moving to Merseyside. Already under pressure from some supporters to start delivering, the 23-year-old will be eager to end his barren run more than anyone else.
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One individual who was no stranger to being prolific in the final third for Liverpool is the club's record scorer, Rush, whose 346 strikes set him apart from the rest. The Welshman's very first goal did not arrive until his tenth appearance for the club, however, which could serve as inspiration for Gakpo.
Offering his view on the criticism that has come the way of the Reds' recent recruit, Rush told the ECHO: “Maybe times have changed now with social media, there’s so much pressure on them. I kept believing in myself. You’re thinking it’s a team game as a striker, but Bob Paisley told me ‘You’ve got to be selfish’ - and that’s what I did. I kept in the same position, became greedy and started scoring.
"Sometimes, as a striker, you have to start doing that. It’s about knowing when to shoot and pass and finding that happy medium. For the first seven or eight games, I was playing for the team but that stopped when Bob Paisley told me ‘You haven’t scored a goal’.
“I think Gakpo has been fine. With Salah, Firmino and Mane, they knew what they were doing and were all on track with each other. We’ve been unfortunate with Diaz and Jota being out and the two new guys (Gakpo and Nunez) need time to adapt. The Premier League is the hardest league in the world and they just need the time to gel together."
Finding the perfect positions for the likes of Gakpo and summer arrival Darwin Nunez has proved somewhat problematic due to both players being suited to functioning on the left wing or leading the line. Moving Mohamed Salah to a central position following his struggles has also been suggested as a solution to improving the squad's attacking output, creating somewhat of a selection dilemma for Klopp.
“It’s difficult," conceded Rush. "When you’re playing the likes of Everton and Manchester United, top players become top. I believe in Mo Salah. I would like to see Mo play down the middle more but then are Gakpo and Nunez good on the left or right? It’s important that the front three interact, and they just need a little bit of time to do that."
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