How warnings from Liverpool history are impacting Rio Ngumoha’s first-team minutes this season - opinion
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Rio Ngumoha gave another glimpse into his potential on Sunday as he produced an exciting cameo to help Liverpool beat Nottingham Forest.The 17-year-old has been one of this season’s biggest talking points, with supporters desperate to see more of his burgeoning talents.In a season littered with them, the lack of minutes for Ngumoha has been used as a stick to beat Arne Slot with. Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images However, to his credit, the Liverpool head coach has stood firm in his view that the teenager should not be overloaded with first-team football.Slot explained why Ngumoha is not playing more as the clamour to get him on the pitch reached peak levels on January 11th.
Drawing on some recent tales of woe from Liverpool youngsters given too much too soon, the Dutchman said he does not want to see the Reds’ latest wonderkid go down the same path.Jayden Danns and Stefan Bajcetic offer Ngumoha warningSlot’s reasoning for not giving Ngumoha more game time was made very clear as he spoke to the press in early January. The 47-year-old was actually asked about Jayden Danns, and used the injury-plagued striker as an example of why expectations should be managed over young players.“If I’m correct, [Danns] is one of the players who got a stress fracture because he was young and, from what I’ve been told, was a bit overtrained.”Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty ImagesREAD MORE: After Rio Ngumoha, Arne Slot will need to replace Curtis Jones with Liverpool youngster Trey Nyoni“That’s why we are so careful with Rio Ngumoha, that he’s two days a week off the pitch if that’s possible, to not have that same situation with him.”Danns is still young enough to come back stronger, but there is no question that his development has been badly hindered.
Change my mind Rio Ngumoha was Liverpool’s star man despite barely playing vs Forest Can anyone take the MOM award off him? Playing below the level expected of him, recurrent hamstring injuries meant he never got close to the levels of his early days at Liverpool.