Ex-Liverpool midfielder agrees with Arne Slot decision on Rio Ngumoha vs Galatasaray

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The Liverpool head coach chose to start Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz in the wide areas against Galatasaray, but selected Rio Ngumoha on the bench, despite his recent showing at Molineux

Steve McManaman gave his verdict on Arne Slot's decision to drop Rio Ngumoha(Image: Getty Images)

Steve McManaman has said Arne Slot was correct to drop Rio Ngumoha for the Champions League trip to Galatasaray, despite him putting in a superb performance in Friday’s FA Cup win over Wolves.

Ngumoha was voted player of the match at Molinuex last week after creating repeated openings down Liverpool’s left flank in just his fourth start of the season. There has been a growing clamor for Ngumoha to play more regularly in recent weeks following several bright cameos off the bench.

Those displays have stood in stark contrast to the form of Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo in the wide areas, with the more experienced pair struggling to make an impact.

However, Slot, who has called for caution with the expectation surrounding Ngumoha, opted against starting the teenage protege against Galatasaray.

Given the intense atmosphere his players will face at RAMS Park, the Liverpool head coach chose to start with Salah and Florian Wirtz out wide, a decision McManaman agreed with.

“He’s a lovely kid, got a great attitude,” the former Liverpool midfielder said on TNT Sports, when asked about Ngumoha.

Ngumoha was excellent against Wolves(Image: Getty Images)

“He can go right, go left. He got that winner against Newcastle earlier in the season to give him that taste of being famous and wearing the red shirt.

“He has loads of tricks. But I totally agree they should dip him in and out. I don’t like the kids to play all the time.

“He’s an incredible talent; very precocious. Using him at Wolves in an FA Cup game: yes. Using him away at Galatasaray: probably no.

Slot has called for calm despite the interest in Ngumoha's talents(Image: (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images))

“Maybe if the result is going well, give him 10 or 15 minutes’ experience of the crowd, but you don’t need to risk him tonight when you have Wirtz back, when you have Salah and [Hugo] Ekitike. It is absolutely fine.”

Slot recently admitted he plans to use Ngumoha more often going forward, given his recent improvement, and said after the Wolves game that the ex-Chelsea youth-team star is ready to make an impact on Liverpool matches.

“I think it's special if you're a 17-year-old and you play in a Premier League match,” Slot on Friday. “I know it's an FA Cup match, but two Premier League sides playing against each other.

“If you're then able already to impact it with some very good one-v-one situations; that is also what makes him special because there are not many players in the modern football that can take one-v-ones on. That's something he can.”