Liverpool FC News: Underrated star SHINES as new animal unleashed

Liverpool have so many great players that it's easy for fans to underrate them.

When the Reds lost on penalties to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield, that's exactly what happened with one of Arne Slot's main forwards. The abuse he got online was horrific to be honest.

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But as with most things, time is a great healer and on Friday night in Liverpool's Premier League opener against Bournemouth, all was forgiven after a moment of brilliance in the second half.

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At long last, it feels right to only give the player his due credit. Cody Gakpo is a serious player. unleashed

Gakpo - A winger unleashed

Liverpool had an interesting dynamic at left-wing last season, as Gakpo had to share the position with Luis Diaz, even though the Colombian occasionally played as a centre-forward as well.

Nothing was how it should have been. Gakpo had times where he could shine, but in certain games, he'd be left on the bench to be brought on as a game-changer or shoehorned in as a striker.

To Diaz's credit, he could play the more central role. It didn't work all the time, but the match against Leverkusen in the Champions League where he scored a hat-trick. It was an imperious performance.

But now that the 28-year-old has moved to Bayern Munich, we're now in a situation where Gakpo will finally get his chance to be the main man on that left-hand side. In some people's minds, competition for places makes players better, but in my view, Gakpo deserves to trusted full-time.

Of course, Rio Ngumoha is now part of the first-team and the 16-year-old will be itching to make his mark on the side, despite his age and inexperience, but Gakpo will get most of the minutes.

Against Bournemouth, the Dutchman was at his best - running down the channel relentlessly, taking on players, cutting in and cutting out and winning countless duels to be a difference-maker in attack.

His goal in the 49th minute was quintessentially Gakpo, dribbling in from the left into the centre at the edge of the box before getting a shot away at goal, except this time, he placed it into the corner.

The fans are always going to be the players harshest critics, for better or for worse. His performance at the Community Shield wasn't great, let's not rewrite history. But no one really had their best game.

Right now, Gakpo is one of three senior forwards that Arne Slot has available and we need to back him whenever he plays for us, as we should with each of the players. The 26-year-old is a real talent and he's creeping into the territory of becoming underrated. Deep down, each of us knows that he's an unbelievable talent. Hopefully he finally get a chance to play a bit more in the limelight this season.

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