Arne Slot now facing MAKE-OR-BREAK Liverpool showdown

Tensions have been reportedly high at Liverpool owing to an issue involving Rio Ngumoha.

The 17-year-old was promoted to the first-team squad over the summer - with Rio expected to challenge Cody Gakpo for his place on the left wing.

That wasn’t the optimum scenario for head coach Arne Slot - who is said to have wanted a senior signing following the departure of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich.

Sporting director Richard Hughes is thought to have made it plain to Slot that he would be expected to blood Ngumoha in the first team rather than making money available for a high-profile arrival.

Slot has been criticised for the role he’s taken with Ngumoha - using the winger for less than an hour overall in the Premier League so far.

Ngumoha at heart of Slot - Hughes disagreement

It threatens to be a sore point in Liverpool’s season and could end up sealing Slot’s fate if he is unwilling to execute the plan for young players passed down to him on high.

And that’s why the FA Cup third round clash against Barnsley on January 12 is now shaping up to be a pivotal moment. Liverpool are facing NINE matches in January alone - with a game against Arsenal coming up on Thursday.

After Barnsley the Reds play Burnley, Marseille, Bournemouth, Qarabag and Newcastle in a hectic second half of the month.

With players injured and certain others in need of a rest - it will be interesting to see if Slot turns to the academy for solutions against League One side Barnsley in the cup.

Liverpool have got a few youth and academy players on the fringes of the squad - with Calvin Ramsay, Amara Nallo, Wellity Lucky, Trey Nyoni and Ngumoha all pushing for starts against Barnsley.

Both Slot and Hughes need young players to perform

We could see even more talents utilised as last year against Plymouth in the fourth round we saw the likes of Isaac Mabaya, Trent Kone-Doherty and James McConnell brought into a much-changed team.

That of course backfired for Slot with the Pilgrims coming away with a 1-0 win against the soon-to-be Premier League champions. But the Liverpool head coach needs all the help he can get and it is likely that Ngumoha will be among the starters.

Slot could do with a good performance from the young players to ensure progress in the cup and remind Hughes that he trusts the talents provided to him from the academy.

And Hughes will no doubt benefit from the young players’ performing well too - as it could set them up for a sale or else an extended run in the first team.

It will be an interesting test case - proving to Slot once and for all that he CAN trust Ngumoha and Co.

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