I watched Liverpool beat Fulham — Arne Slot must make bold selection vs PSG

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Liverpool's return to winning ways against Fulham will come as a relief to Arne Slot — now, the Reds boss has to make a big decision about his side against Paris Saint-Germain

Arne Slot has a big decision to make against PSG, but it should be an easy one(Image: Getty Images)

There is simply no avoiding it now. Rio Ngumoha HAS to play against Paris Saint-Germain.

Like so many Liverpool fans, I have been frustrated with some of Arne Slot’s decisions of late, and yes, serious questions do need to be asked about his future if the Reds fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

If there is one area though where I have tended to agree with the Dutchman, it is in his cautious approach with Ngumoha. I’m just as excited about what the teenager can achieve as other supporters, but I also know this isn’t the first time we’ve seen a youngster get into this stage with the first team, only for it to go horribly wrong.

Stefan Bajcetic is the obvious one, but Jayden Danns is also in a delicate position, having spent so long out injured after his breakthrough under Jurgen Klopp. It’s incredible to think how long ago that was now.

I don’t want to see another young talent breaking down, so I’ve never been quite as gung-ho as the likes of Jamie Carragher or Steven Gerrard in calling for Ngumoha to start more games.

After his performance against Fulham on Saturday though, you just can’t leave that sort of talent on the bench, even if you’ve got the defending European champions next with only two days’ rest in between.

It’s no exaggeration to say Ngumoha was the difference against Fulham. Liverpool deserved its lead at half-time, but there was a danger of the game following an all too familiar pattern before the 17-year-old struck.

Rio Ngumoha made a case to start against PSG that simply can't be ignored(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Just like against Manchester City the week previous, Liverpool had enjoyed a positive opening half-hour before its opponent began to find its way into the game.

It’s at those moments you need someone to take proceedings by the scruff of the neck, and Ngumoha — five years the junior of the next youngest player on the pitch for Liverpool — took that upon himself with a sumptuous finish that the man on the opposite side of the field would have been proud of at his peak.

It did feel more than a little symbolic that both Ngumoha and Mohamed Salah scored on Saturday. With the Egyptian leaving in the summer, it almost felt like a passing of the torch to Liverpool’s next great winger.

That might still feel like unnecessary pressure to put on a player who isn’t technically an adult yet, but there’s no denying that Ngumoha is ready for his chance against PSG now, and even Slot seems to know that.

“I think he’s ready,” the Liverpool boss said after Saturday’s game, albeit with a slight caveat. “Now the question, of course, is: can he do this two days later again? That’s another question. But would he be able to play and perform at that level? Yeah.

“I play him because I see him as one of the players we are having. It’s not like he’s less or in the beginning of the season he was a young player getting some experience with the first team. But now he’s just someone I can pick for any game. So, also the one on Tuesday.”

Even with those obvious concerns about pushing a young player too far, Ngumoha simply cannot be ignored now. He must start against PSG.