Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Liverpool leading front man John Aldridge has given his thoughts on Hugo Ekitike's start at the club, whether he can emulate the impact of Fernando Torres at the club and speculates if Alexander Isak could find himself on the bench next season
Elsewhere, he gives his perspective on the future's of Andy Robertson , Dominik Szoboszlai and if they along with others could end up in an Anfield exodus at the end of the season and assesses the next in line to replace Salah with Jarrod Bowen favoured but also has some high praise for in-house talent Rio Ngumoha.
Hugo Ekitike
Ekitike's Start
When Hugo Ekitike signed, I wasn't sure how he was going to fare, where he was going to play. I thought he was going to play on the left. And obviously, with others getting injured and not having a good start, he's taken over the mantle. It's quite strange because whoever plays centre-forward for Liverpool has got to score 20 goals plus. That's the only way a team wins things.
Your Erling Haaland -type players. Arsenal have got away with it a little bit this year because it's been spread around, but notoriously, your centre-forward is going to get 20 league goals and then loads of cup goals. Ekitike has done well. Liverpool have played without our best creator, Florian Wirtz , for a quarter of a season, and he didn't have an awful lot of supply. He still managed to get himself goals.
They've done well as a pair, and they will get more chances. It's even going to be interesting when Alexander Isak comes back, what the manager is going to do, those three linking up could be quite special.
Will Isak Be Benched?
When Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike both signed, we thought that Isak was going to take the mantle, and Ekitike would come in every now and then. It has backfired on Liverpool because it's made it more difficult. As a manager, you've got to look at a way of utilising them all together, or you can swap and change and have a little break here.
Does Arne Slot play Florian Wirtz on the right wing and Ekitke behind, or Ekitke on the left wing and Wirtz behind Isak ? He's not going to do it this year when Isak comes back, but in pre-season, you're going to have to look at some options. I think Wirtz can play on the right side, but he needs to play him inverted so he can come inside and get involved a little bit more, like when Ray Kennedy when he used to play for Liverpool , that sort of area. It's something that they've got to think about because you've got to play your best players.
Emulating Torres
Could Hugo Ekitike surpass Fernando Torres ? As long as he doesn't go to Chelsea ! Fernando was absolutely amazing. He was slightly older when he came in, but you can see similarities.
That goal, when he went through and stabbed it in, like Fernando did. There are a lot of similarities between the two, the way they played, the way they moved, in fact. If Jamie Carragher thinks so, I'm not going to disagree with him; we're good mates. But he has certainly got the ability to be as good as Fernando anyway.
Andy Robertson
Robertson May Want To Go
Andy Robertson has been amazing. I remember watching left-back Joey Jones , God rest his soul. Robbo reminds me of Joey ; he puts his heart and soul into every game. The respect he has for himself and the ex-players is immense because he's oldie-worldie, an old-fashioned type of player. He goes through a brick wall for the manager and the fans. In the dressing room, he'd be invaluable.
As soon as Milos Kerkez starts to do really well, Robertson will play second fiddle. That’s just the way it works. He’s at the sort of stage of his career now, and I played till I was nearly 40. He just wants to play. He's an honest, working-class, good lad, and he just wants to play football. So if he's not going to play at Liverpool , I could see him wanting to leave. And unfortunately, I’d agree with him, even though I want him to stay.
The fans love him and want him to stay. He's imperative, like a vice-captain; he's great all over the place. But you only get one life. You couldn't take away his ambition to keep on playing and maybe be a player-manager of a team in the future. You can see he might have that in him. So, unfortunately, I think Liverpool are preparing for that. Even if Liverpool gave him a massive contract, he's not the type of player who's doing it for the money. That's the way he is.
Robertson's Next Move
Andy Robertson is a big Celtic fan. If Celtic came knocking on the door, I think that would be wonderful for him. Celtic's always been my second team for years. I don't think he might get the money he could get going around the world, or by staying in the Premier League . But he's such an honest lad. It's like he's chasing his heart.
When I played for Liverpool , that was me. He dreamed when he was young of playing for Celtic . So if that happened, that could be absolutely magnificent for him, if that's what he wanted.
Contract Talks
Should Szoboszlai’s Contract Be Priority?
You want to keep your young, better players. You've got to build on them. Dominik Szoboszlai is a good age. Unfortunately, most are on the wrong side of 30, as in Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Mohamed Salah . We were built on those three. Now you've got to build from youth and the fresh players to keep you going. He’s certainly one of them.
Szoboszlai To Real Madrid?
Dominik Szoboszlai has been our best player this season. He's been the most consistent and has scored some wonderful goals. They are the players you need to keep. He ignites the midfield to the front. So for me, yeah, like everyone, if he wants to go, if players want to go, you can't really stop them in this day and age. Real Madrid is Real Madrid. They are like Liverpool as well. I know they've won 15 European Cups. I've played against them. I've been lucky to score against them home and away and win home and away. I know how big the club is.
If he's got his heart set on it and supported them as a kid, then it's going to be quite difficult. They've been after him for a couple of years now, but he will have seen what Liverpool means and the passion that drives the club and the players on from the ground. Real Madrid haven't quite got that passion, even though they're an enormous club. If he's set on going there, then it's going to be tough to keep him, but we've got to try.
Mohamed Salah
Time To Replace Salah?
I think we need to get someone to be a direct replacement for Mo Salah . Jeremie Frimpong can play there; he's got the pace, but he's not a goal scorer. We need someone. Antonie Semenyo , I thought he would have fitted the bill. He's gone to Man City and is scoring quite a lot of goals. So, we need to look at a player that's like a semi-centre forward, but with winger skills, and there are some out there.
It's a hard act to follow, even though Mo hasn't been the best for a long time. It's a massive act to follow, but they've got to find someone there for me. You've got Alexander Isak to come back. When you've got Isak, and you've got Florian Wirtz , and you've got Hugo Ekitike , are they always going to work with the three of them in the team? Well, they probably won't, unless Wirtz plays wide, unless he goes and plays in wide positions. Then I could see Ekitike playing behind. I don't know how the manager or the team or the club will respond to that for next year, really.
Bowen Fits The Bill
I've looked at Jarrod Bowen for some years now, and I really like the way he plays football and what he offers West Ham , even now. I joined Liverpool when I was 28 or 29. There are a good couple of years left in him. I've been saying this to a lot of ex-players for a couple of years now. He would fit the bill whenever Mo was ready to go, and even now, you still get a couple of good years at least out of him.
If West Ham stay up, then it would be hard to get him, and he’s probably not what the owners look at, age-wise. But again, I'm a bit of a dinosaur, so why not? For what's out there, if, hypothetically, we were to get him, he could get you 15 goals a season and a lot of assists. But it might not fit the makeup of the club, sadly.
The Attacking Shortlist
Yan Diomande
Jarrod Bowen is a more solid option than Yan Diomande because he's used to the Premier League , he's used to British life. He's a lot older. A young lad coming in, it's tough, especially at that age. For someone to take over from Mohamed Salah . It's got to be someone solid, someone who's done it. Ticks all the boxes, has experience. Someone with pace, we need pace. Mo has lost a bit of pace; we need that up top. That is the criteria.
Christian Pulisic
I liked Christian Pulisic when he was young. He was really good when he was just starting off and had brilliant talent. He just came and then faded. But the potential he had was amazing. He's going to be around 27 now, so I don't think he's the type of player you need. You've got a Florian Wirtz who does something similar to him.
Rio Ngumoha
Rio Ngumoha is a huge talent. He's got everything, the pace that we lack at the moment, the rawness where he's not a robot. Give him the ball, he'll do what he wants to do. When he knows what he's going to do, the players he's playing against don't have a clue anyway. He's a breath of fresh air at the moment when you're watching Liverpool .
He's only 17, and he's at a massive club. You don't want him to get big-headed, so you've got to handle it the right way. But for me, he needs more game time. He's not been brought on enough this season, not even for 15 or 20 minutes in certain games, nor started games. For example, on Sunday, I would start him at Tottenham . Perhaps not against Galatasaray , no, I don't think that might be right. But maybe he could come on tomorrow. Tottenham , I think, is an ideal game. With all due respect to the way Tottenham are at the moment, start him.
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