The aftermath of Liverpool’s damaging 2–1 loss to bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers has turned increasingly toxic. After André’s deflected 94th-minute winner, attention has shifted away from the officials and toward one player now accused of disrupting the Reds’ attacking flow.
While much of the early reaction focused on Virgil van Dijk’s reported ultimatum, club legend Steven Gerrard and other Anfield figures have reportedly directed sharp criticism at Cody Gakpo, with the former captain said to believe the Dutch forward should “hang his head in shame.”
“A PASSENGER IN RED”: THE BRUTAL VERDICT
Despite the much-anticipated return of Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah’s 83rd-minute equaliser, Gakpo’s display at Molineux has reportedly been viewed internally as a breaking point. Speaking on TNT Sports, Gerrard was said to be visibly frustrated by what he saw as a lack of intensity from the £40m forward.
“He should hang his head in shame — because we’re clearly playing better football without him,” the legend reportedly fumed. “He doesn’t read the game well enough and isn’t offering the team what it needs. Right now, he looks like a passenger while others are driving the side forward.”
The “Disasterclass” by the Numbers
• Expected Goals (xG) missed: 0.61, including a close-range miss early in the second half
• Key passes: 0 — none of his 22 completed passes produced a clear chance
• Crossbar moment: In a snapshot of his night, Gakpo took the ball off the chest of Curtis Jones only to deflect it onto the bar
“HE NEEDS TO LEAVE”: FAN FRUSTRATION BOILS OVER
Online reaction has reached boiling point. With Liverpool stuck in fifth and rivals surging, sections of the Kop have begun branding the “Gakpo experiment” a failure.
The hashtag #GakpoOut trended within minutes of full time, with some supporters calling for teenage talent Rio Ngumoha to be given the role permanently.
• “Gakpo 25/26 is the worst player we’ve ever had. He strolls around like he’s on holiday while Wolves are fighting for their lives!” read one widely shared post.
• “I’m highly disappointed. He killed our momentum today. It’s time we replace him,” wrote another fan.
SLOT UNDER PRESSURE
Manager Arne Slot, who previously backed his compatriot by insisting he simply “needed a goal” to rebuild confidence, now faces a major selection dilemma. Persisting with Gakpo in Friday’s FA Cup rematch against Wolves could risk further backlash from both supporters and club legends.
“The expectations have changed,” Slot admitted in a subdued post-match press conference. “We are struggling to score from open play, and that’s something we must address.”
So is Cody Gakpo’s Anfield future genuinely in doubt — or has he simply become the easiest outlet for mounting frustration?
