Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher agree on Liverpool star who should be axed for Rio Ngumoha

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has urged Arne Slot to start Rio Ngumoha over Cody Gakpo following the Reds' defeat to Wolves, echoing Jamie Carragher's earlier assessment

Steven Gerrard has shared his thoughts about the Liverpool team(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside, Offside via Getty Images)

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has urged Arne Slot to drop Cody Gakpo in favour of Rio Ngumoha. The young winger delivered an eye-catching display after coming on for Gakpo against Wolves on Tuesday, despite the Reds falling to a 2-1 defeat.

Mohamed Salah looked to have salvaged a point for Arne Slot's side at Molineux following Rodrigo Gomes' opener, only for Andre's late strike to seal an unlikely win for the home side. It marked a major blow for Liverpool in their pursuit of Champions League qualification.

Nevertheless, the side have an instant opportunity for redemption as they prepare to take on Wolves in the FA Cup fifth round on Friday evening, merely three days following their last trip to Molineux. Gerrard has called on Slot to replace Gakpo with Ngumoha after another impressive cameo from the bench.

Responding to Virgil van Dijk's critique of the side following the loss to Wolves, Gerrard commented on TNT Sports: "He's right because for 65 minutes, Liverpool were desperate tonight, really poor. [They] didn't create enough, didn't play at the right speed or the right tempo, they didn't have the right quality.

"[Slot] has to start Ngumoha now, he has to start him because he's coming on and doing more in a short cameo and in a short space of time than Gakpo is doing in 65/70 minutes. He deserves a start now. He's got the start the kid on Friday night."

The young player came on for Gakpo in the 65th minute, offering a more potent threat down the flank. Earlier this season, Ngumoha made history as the Reds' youngest-ever goalscorer with a late decider against Newcastle United back in August.

Gerrard's suggestion that he should start ahead of Gakpo echoes Carragher's earlier evaluation of Liverpool's wingers. Following the recent triumph over Nottingham Forest, Carragher felt the team's wide players had contributed little until the youngster was brought on from the bench.

Gerrard criticized Cody Gakpo's display against Wolves(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

"Ngumoha did more in 15 minutes than Salah and Gakpo did before that," Carragher shared with Sky Sports. "He changed the game and needs to be starting games."

Whether the two Liverpool legends will see their wish granted on Friday is yet to be determined. Reds manager Slot has previously discussed the careful juggling act he's trying to achieve regarding Ngumoha's playing time.

"Let's be clear, he is a special player that will have more playing time and already has more playing time recently," Slot stated last month. "If everyone thinks he is so good, then he should be in something to talk about again. If he is already good enough to play for us, then he should definitely be, in your opinion.

Carragher and Gerrard have called for Rio Ngumoha to get more minutes(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

"(I'm mindful over lack of under-21s football) 100 per cent - that is what makes it so difficult at the age of these two players (Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni) and where they are at in their development. (They are) good enough to come in or to play for us, to be on the bench, (with) our squad not being big enough.

"So we always need them on the bench and that also means that if you look at his playing time and Trey's playing time, overall that has not been enough to develop a player ideally in a better way. But that is the downside of having injuries, the downside of they are a bit too good (for the U21s)."

Ngumoha has been named in the starting XI for three of his 17 first-team outings this season. One of those starts came against Barnsley in the FA Cup third round and he will be hoping for inclusion in Slot's line-up for Friday's cup encounter against Wolves.