Jurgen Klopp and Cody Gakpo have given an insight into the mental block that stalled the Liverpool striker’s form – and how they worked together to remove it.
Gakpo’s first full season at Liverpool has been a rocky one, but the Dutchman has still managed to score 15 goals and assist another six in 51 games.
He has been used in a variety of roles, while injuries have also impacted his form, with it only recently that he has looked closer to his best.
In his pre-Aston Villa press conference, Klopp revealed that he had held a one-to-one conversation with Gakpo in a bid to address his problems on the pitch.
And in their sit-down as part of Liverpool’s ‘The Reds Roundtable’ series, the pair gave more details about what was said.
“We had this conversation four or five weeks ago, and I really don’t think it was that much about what we were talking [about], it was just the turning point that we spoke.
“You say you had problems before – and you will have problems in the future, that’s how it is – but how do you get out of that?
“So when sometimes, as human beings, we just give it out of our hands and say ‘it’s just not a great moment, I try really hard, I enjoy everything I’m doing’ but it’s not true.
“So we have to be honest with ourselves in these moments.”
Klopp continued:
“We spoke about it, that you try to prove something that I don’t ask you to prove, which is like a misunderstanding.
“And when you’re on the way to prove something you actually don’t have to, you lose the rest of your game a little bit.
“With stopping that, you can be yourself immediately again. It’s crazy. I think the next game, you came on and it looked completely different.
“I would like to say it was exactly because I said what I said, but I don’t think it was. It was like ‘OK, stop worrying about what was, let’s be the one I was before that’.”
“There were bad moments”
It was a heart-to-heart which clearly resonated with Gakpo himself, as the 25-year-old admitted to suffering “bad moments” this season.
“I think your surroundings at home and the club you’re in are really important to overcome those situations,” he explained.
“Like when I was injured this year, everybody was looking after me; when there were bad moments I had conversations with the gaffer, with players as well.
“So I think obviously you have to be very strong mentally yourself, but your surroundings are as important, I think.”
