Jamie Carragher believes Rio Ngumoha deserves more starts after his lively cameo in Liverpool’s narrow win over Nottingham Forest, criticizing Salah, Gakpo, and Curtis Jones for underwhelming displays.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has called for Rio Ngumoha to be handed more opportunities following his impact in the Reds’ 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest at The City Ground on February 22. Ngumoha came on in the 77th minute and impressed immediately, with Carragher claiming he did more in 15 minutes than Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo managed across the entire game.
Carragher described the victory as a “robbery,” pointing out that Liverpool struggled for most of the contest. Nottingham Forest looked confident on the ball, while the visitors lacked sharpness until Ngumoha’s introduction. Alexis Mac Allister thought he had sealed the win late on, only for VAR to rule his effort out for handball. The midfielder eventually struck in stoppage time to secure the points.
Ngumoha’s Impact Compared to Salah and Gakpo
In his brief spell on the pitch, Ngumoha created one chance and completed two dribbles from three attempts. By contrast, Salah and Gakpo combined for just one chance, failed to register a shot, and did not complete a single dribble during their 77 minutes, according to FotMob. Ngumoha has made 15 appearances this season, starting three times and scoring once, but Carragher insists his influence warrants more starts.
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Carragher also singled out Curtis Jones for criticism, arguing that the midfielder slows down play with too many touches. He labeled Liverpool’s first-half display against Forest as their worst of the season, adding that Jones’ tendency to dwell on the ball has been a recurring issue throughout his career at Anfield.
Following the win, Arne Slot’s side sit sixth in the Premier League table with 45 points from 27 matches, level with Chelsea but behind on goal difference. Liverpool will next face West Ham United on February 28 as they continue their push for a top-four finish.
