'I've seen Rio Ngumoha change and Liverpool should be excited'
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Liverpool FC NewsFeaturesRio NgumohaTrey Nyoni has understandably taken a lot of the attention in pre-season so far, but Rio Ngumoha can be pleased with how he performed under Andoni Iraola as wellRio Ngumoha during the friendly game between Liverpool and Leeds in Chicago.(Image: Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)Andoni Iraola wants wingers who can play on both sides of his attack, which very much applies to Bradley Barcola. But it is also something that Rio Ngumoha has always had up his sleeve.At the start of this summer, Ngumoha impressed for England ahead of the World Cup, with the Liverpool ace deployed on the right-hand side by Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel as Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke recovered from the Champions League final.Already this summer, we have seen something similar at Liverpool, with Ngumoha scoring a heavily deflected goal against Wrexham when coming inside from the right flank.
He's best off the left, but he can do both.The clamor for Ngumoha to play more often last term was rightly resisted by Arne Slot. The teenager's legs need to be saved to avoid burnout, and it is not fair to ask a 17-year-old to be the savior in a struggling side.But under Iraola, not least with a current lack of alternatives, the desire from fans to see more and more of Ngumoha as the months go by is only going to increase.This summer, the former Chelsea academy starlet has shown himself to be more developed in a variety of ways.(Image: Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)Ngumoha looks more physically ready and his decision-making in the final third has looked more refined.
He has passed the ball more quickly rather than taking quite so many touches.The winger has noticeably started to track back more, which is something that he will have to do under Iraola to have any hope of nailing down a regular starting spot."(Pre-season) has been good," Ngumoha said earlier this week."All the lads are treating me like I’m a professional player. Liverpool doesn't want to block his pathway, but Ngumoha's minutes will still need to be managed.Instead, a name like Barcola, at the very least, should be added to the roster to take the pressure off Ngumoha and allow him to continue his upward trajectory without the pressure of too much falling on his shoulders.Ngumoha has bulked up, his final ball appears to have improved, and he is taking on the instructions that Iraola is sending his way.The Reds should be excited about that, but having more depth in forward areas will ensure that he thrives.Choose Liverpool.com as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Liverpool FCRio Ngumoha