The excellent participant within the Netherlands’ opening 2-1 Euro 2024 win in opposition to Poland was Cody Gakpo. And as many followers and journalists have since realised, he was enjoying off the left wing.
This shouldn’t be a shock or sudden second of footballing revelation.
For many of his profession, the left wing has been Gakpo’s most pure dwelling. It’s simply that, to this point at Liverpool, we’ve barely been in a position to see him residing in it.
First, the numbers.
Throughout his time at PSV Eindhoven, the place Gakpo turned an everyday within the 2018/19 season, 117 out of 158 appearances in all competitions got here off that flank.
Moreover, within the first half of the 2022/23 season – a interval during which he jumped from the class of thrilling expertise to main European ahead – Gakpo scored 13 and assisted 17 in simply 24 matches in all competitions. All of them enjoying on the left of a entrance three.
With the Netherlands, he has performed virtually half of his matches there, a lesser quantity primarily as a result of Ronald Koeman’s earlier desire for a wing-back system that noticed Gakpo play as an inverted attacking midfielder.
It could possibly be one thing we see in opposition to the extra ominous opponents at this Euros.
A sq. peg as No. 9
On the final World Cup, off the again of that unbelievable PSV run, Gakpo was prime scorer and star of a turgid Oranje aspect primarily remembered for a wise free-kick routine in opposition to Argentina, enjoying as a centre-forward as a result of an unfit Memphis Depay.
It’s maybe an abiding reminiscence of that event which satisfied Jurgen Klopp not solely to speed up plans to signal Gakpo the next January, pipping Man United within the course of, however to make use of the Eindhoven man as an answer to his centre-forward conundrum.
With Roberto Firmino set to go away on the finish of the season, Diogo Jota scuffling with accidents and Darwin Nunez nonetheless bedding in, it appeared a smart short-term resolution.
Nevertheless, for the remainder of Klopp’s tenure, it arguably turned a long-term blind spot.
Those that argued Gakpo was the best successor to Firmino maybe didn’t totally perceive the place on the pitch he delivered the numbers that really brought on Liverpool to spend £37 million on him within the first place.
Certainly, though the final marketing campaign noticed Gakpo develop into an vital member of the Liverpool squad, solely 22 p.c of his 53 appearances have been on the left wing.
It was clear Klopp favoured the additional trickery of Luis Diaz, however with the Colombian’s complete of eight targets and 5 assists within the league precisely the identical as Gakpo’s, ought to the latter have been given extra of an opportunity in that function?
Because the season progressed, the tremors on the Richter scale of criticism elevated, with some followers rising annoyed at Gakpo’s inconsistency and incapability to recreate the goalscoring type they’d been informed about from his time within the Eredivisie.
But can a participant actually present such consistency once they’ve been requested to play as much as 5 totally different positions throughout the course of a season?
Gakpo unleashed
That opening Netherlands match in Hamburg shall be remembered for 2 issues.
The primary was the outstanding Dutch assist pre-match. The second was Gakpo’s efficiency which, over 81 minutes, was as pure an illustration as one might hope to have of the place his pure place on the pitch is.
In a 4-2-3-1 formation, Gakpo was the conduit via which all of the Dutch’s assaults got here via.
At instances, akin to of their final warmup match, the staff might be responsible of naturally leaning in the direction of enjoying extra down the other flank due to the barnstorming runs from full-back Denzel Dumfries.
But not on this event. Whether or not enjoying in opposition to a deep defensive block or attacking shortly on the break, it was Gakpo on the centre of it. Along with his equalising aim, he created three probabilities, accomplished all 5 of his take-on makes an attempt and had over 50 touches. Curiously, eight of those have been within the opposition penalty space.
We have now a latest behavior in soccer of defining wingers in two methods: those that like to chop inside, and people who desire to take the ball down the skin and get to the byline.
In Gakpo, the Netherlands and Liverpool have a participant who can do each. He’s sturdy off each side, being equally adept at crossing together with his left or reducing harmful inside to shoot or discover a team-mate together with his proper.
With the Oranje, he typically seems for a fast one-two with the centre-forward earlier than breaking into the field, or for the intelligent lifted cross to the rampaging Dumfries coming in from the best.
What he can actually provide
It’s obvious that Gakpo is just not lightning quick. Nevertheless, he’s technically wonderful, bodily sturdy and a stunning striker of a soccer. He might be each intricate and direct – the artist’s brush and the builder’s hammer in equal measure.
The aim he scored in opposition to Poland took a giant deflection, however there’s a complete catalogue of examples of ferocious strikes from outdoors the world after reducing inside.
Equally, his confidence on the ball and understanding of area means he hardly ever runs or passes right into a useless finish, while his pure top and lengthy stride means he can nonetheless break free from gamers.
That top in all probability means he ought to have extra than simply six headed targets at membership degree, however it is usually one other attainable weapon, coming in late to fulfill crosses on the again publish.
And the thrilling factor for Liverpool followers, regardless of the lack of Klopp, is that their new coach ought to in concept know precisely use Gakpo.
As written beforehand, Arne Slot has historically favoured a 4-2-3-1 form that requires a mix of depth, intelligence, energy and flexibility.
Due to this fact, it might appear Gakpo is simply the kind of winger that Slot values – gamers who might be impactful in one-on-one conditions, are dynamic, progressive with the ball and hyperlink up nicely with overloading full backs.
World-class potential
The previous Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar coach will know the sport of the 2022/23 Dutch Footballer of the 12 months nicely and might even see him as a vital participant, efficient each in moments of quick transition and when discovering the holes inside sturdy defensive partitions.
There have been rumours about Liverpool needing to dip into the switch market to signal a substitute in case Diaz leaves. They need to put the corporate card again in its pockets or spend it elsewhere. The substitute is already within the squad.
There isn’t a purpose why Gakpo can’t turn out to be a world-class ahead at Anfield. But to turn out to be the star many have predicted, he first must be put in the best place to shine.
* This can be a visitor article for This Is Anfield by Joe Baker of The Oranje. Comply with on Twitter @BakerJoe21 and @TheOranje1.
