During the World Cup we learned the sad news of the passing of Cody Gakpo’s infant son. Unsurprisingly, there was an outpouring of support and heartfelt emotion from the Liverpool faithful. One of our own was experiencing a devastating personal loss, and fans from across the globe felt compelled to send their condolences.
It is at moments like this that bring clearly into perspective that the players whom we worship, and at other times vilify, are in fact young men, many barely into adulthood, who face challenges and tragedies like the rest of us.
They have to do so, however, under the intense scrutiny of a demanding fan base and a social media universe that is unforgiving and often unfair.
Gapko, for much of the past season, was a focal point of our frustrations with the Reds under Arne Slot. He was mocked as being one dimensional-feint to the left, cut to the right, drive the ball into a defender or blast it over the bar.
Yet just one year before, Gakpo contributed 18 goals, including 10 in the Premier League as Liverpool captured their second title. Indeed, those 10 goals were scored despite a season xG of 7.10. In other words, Gakpo scored at 42.8% higher rate than expected.
In comparison, Mo Salah exceeded his xG by about 16% in the 2024/25 season. In the 2025/26 season, Gakpo struggled. Despite an xG of 8.56, he contributed only seven Premier League goals.
But, Gakpo was not alone in failing to meet expectations. Mo Salah’s production plummeted. Salah’s xG fell from 25.21 to 7.9, and his goals scored from 29 to 7. In fact, the team’s xG fell from 85.25 in the title-winning season under Slot, to 59.25 just one year later. These stats are clearly reflective of a team-wide failure.
Yet, it is arguable, that no one player received greater criticism than Gakpo for Slot’s disappointing second season. His 6’4” frame became a lightning rod for the invective of the fans. Many mocked him as receiving special treatment as “Slot’s son” to explain his regularly starting despite his ineffectiveness. As it became clear that Champions League qualification was the best we could hope for, the boos were heard at Anfield for Gakpo and Slot.
Cody Gakpo had a poor season. He knows it. But his performance at the World Cup shows that he remains a talented player. Hopefully, the new season will bring with it a return to form for both Gakpo and the squad.
For fans, the new season affords us an opportunity to rethink how we act as supporters of this great club. It should not take a tragedy to cause us to reflect on how we treat the young men in Red on whom we pin our hopes each week of the football season.
We should never lose sight of the reality that football is but a game, and not, despite Shankly’s iconic words, more important than life and death.
Russ McBride
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