Latest news with #RioNgumoha
Daily Record
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Andy Robertson fires brutal X-rated training rant at Liverpool kid as Scotland skipper shows off his cheeky side
The veteran defender was heard giving 16-year-old academy star Rio Ngumoha a dressing down during a training exercise Scotland captain Andy Robertson appeared to let his competitive streak get the better of him by slating a Liverpool team-mate in an X-rated training ground rant. Arne Slot 's side are gearing up for the defence of their Premier League title with a tour of Asia and will take on J1 League outfit Yokohama Marinos on Wednesday after losing 4-2 to AC Milan last weekend. And ahead of the game, Robertson - who is into the final 12 months of his contract at Anfield - could be heard giving 16-year-old starlet Rio Ngumoha a stern telling off during a training exercise. In footage shared on X by The Redmen TV, the teenager appeared to lose the ball, promoting Robertson, 31, to bellow: "Ah Rio, f****** complacency ya wee d***". The rant was clearly in jest, with the Tartan Army hero recently talking up his younger teammate. Ngumoha became the youngest ever player to start a game for Liverpool when he lined-up in an FA Cup clash against Accrington Stanley back in January and former Dundee United and Queen's Park full-back Robertson has predicted a big future in the game for the England youth international. Speaking about Ngumoha and fellow prospect Trey Nyoni in an interview with The Anfield Wrap, he said: "He's a good kid and he's got a fantastic head on his shoulders, especially when he's got people like Mo [Salah] who can help him so much as well. "We always try to help him and Trey. "They're so young but they're such good kids and they've got a hell of a future ahead of themselves. "You can just see them coming on every time and the more they train and play with us, the more they just get better and better. "Obviously that's the last two games I've played now with Rio in front of me and he just keeps on coming on. "He's got a hell of a future ahead of him but the here-and-now looks pretty good as well." Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Lynch: Liverpool youngster set to step up amid summer exits
Liverpool's Youth Gamble, Chiesa's Exit Path and Rio Ngumoha's Rise Rio Ngumoha Pushing for Senior Minutes In a summer dominated by speculation and reshuffles, few prospects have seized opportunity like Rio Ngumoha. Speaking on The Media Matters Podcast for Anfield Index, David Lynch highlighted the youngster's rapid pre-season rise. 'He's grasping his chance,' Lynch said, adding, 'everybody's been very impressed with him.' Ngumoha has shown signs he could be more than just a squad player. 'He was very very good again,' said Lynch, referencing the AC Milan game. After seeing him at Preston, Lynch expected League Cup or FA Cup minutes, but now concedes, 'maybe we see a Premier League debut from him.' One particular moment stood out for Lynch, a left-footed shot that tested the keeper. 'He needs to be powerful shooting on his wrong foot… it creates doubt in defenders' minds.' Photo IMAGO As Liverpool prepare for the post-Diaz era, the club is clearly banking on homegrown talent like Ngumoha. But Lynch raised a concern: 'If you only have four [senior forwards] and then Salah goes away and one of them gets an injury, you are starting Ngumoha for an awful lot of games.' Chiesa's Exit on Course The conversation inevitably turned to outgoings, and Federico Chiesa's name surfaced once again. Lynch addressed the situation candidly. 'We've said for a while on this podcast… Italy was going to be his destination.' Photo: IMAGO Inter Milan's pursuit of Ademola Lookman could be key, with Lynch confirming: 'Strong suggestions in Italy that if that happens… they're looking at Federico Chiesa to come in.' From Liverpool's side, the motivation is clear: 'If Liverpool can get their money back, that 10 million from Atalanta or whoever, they will do it.' For Liverpool, this was a financial manoeuvre rather than a long-term investment. Lynch added, 'There was always going to be Italian clubs interested in him… they would largely make it back.' A move back to Serie A, then, appears the likeliest outcome. Midfield Restructures and Small-Squad Strategy Much of the discussion focused on how Liverpool are balancing depth with opportunity. The club's desire for a 'small squad' has clear implications. 'Arne Slot's talked about that,' Dave Davis observed, 'he's not afraid to say things like Frimpong could go right, Wirtz up, Szoboszlai played there.' Photo: IMAGO Lynch admitted the forward line remains unclear. 'What does this forward line end up looking like? It's very hard to ascertain.' If both Chiesa and Nunez leave and only one replacement arrives, Liverpool could rely heavily on Ngumoha, Frimpong and even Szoboszlai out wide. Lynch's view is measured but firm. 'For me… five senior options and a sixth like Ngumoha, that would help his development.' But if only four arrive, it could quickly become unsustainable: 'You're reshuffling five or six positions to make it work.' Recruitment Priorities and Unanswered Questions While the summer exits create obvious gaps, the incoming picture remains opaque. Lynch was clear about the club's plans. 'There's going to be a centre half signed and there's going to be a forward.' But who comes after that is unclear. 'It's hard to judge how many they're going to sign.' Fofana has been mentioned, but Lynch stated plainly, 'I just don't personally know about this link.' Instead, the conversation returns to roles and pathways. 'If Isak is signed, someone like him [Fofana]… would be kind of perfect to be a foil all the way across the front line.' Photo: IMAGO The one certainty is that Liverpool's transfer window, and Ngumoha's role in it, is far from over. As Lynch summed up: 'There's such a long way to go… it's like pin the tail on the donkey trying to guess at the moment.'
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'Gutted he's leaving' or 'a great deal for all parties'?
We asked for your views on Luis Diaz's imminent departure from Liverpool to Bayern are some of your comments:Phil: Gutted that Luis is leaving us. He was great to watch, wonderful skill on the ball and a great eye for goal. I'm worried about the impact of his loss. I love Cody Gakpo but Luis is a better carrier and more progressive with the ball. Shame he wants to leave but wishing him, and us, the Diaz to Bayern is a great deal for all parties involved. He gets a bumper contract and Liverpool get some more spending power to continue our mental transfer window. Win-win all It's not ideal, a workhorse of a player that has flair and an eye for a goal. Signing Alexander Isak would soften the blow From a financial perspective, it makes good sense but his energy and commitment on the pitch will be missed. Good luck to the lad!Ash: He wanted to leave so let him go, and now use the money to get a centre-back. We have enough going forward - although Isak and Rodrygo would be nice too - but prioritise a Bad decision to let him go. He has worked his socks off for us and scored some wonderful goals. Will be very sorry to see him A real shame to see Diaz leave. He is a fantastic player but with Gakpo, Wirtz and now the emergence of Rio Ngumoha as options on the left, I don't think we need to replace him. I suspect either Darwin Nunez or Harvey Elliott will also leave. Maybe both if we're serious about getting how you're feeling about Diaz leaving here
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Liverpool signed one of the most skilful players on the planet
Liverpool now have one of the most skilful players on the planet. It's been apparent over the last year that Arne Slot is keen on adding more skill to his attack. The Reds were brilliant last season, but they lacked a player who can take players on one vs one and create space for others. Shop the LFC Store LFC Kits Shop Now LFC x New Era Shop Now LFC Signed Merch Shop Now LFC x Titleist Shop Now Someone who can also be unpredictable. This is why they had considered making a move for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the January transfer window. Ultimately, Paris Saint Germain were the ones who were able to sway the exquisite Georgian attacker, and they reaped the rewards, becoming Champions League winners and beating Liverpool along the way. For the Reds though, missing out on Kvaratskhelia may have been a silver lining. Because little did they realise, but they already had a player of his ilk, and had already signed him last summer. Richard Hughes got a lot of criticism last year when he ultimately didn't really go big on any transfer. Obviously, those critics are very silent now as Liverpool have embarked on a spending spree. But Hughes did make one transfer that could go onto retrospectively be known as one of his best deals ever. We are talking about the acquisition of Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea. Last year the 16-year-old's arrival caused shockwaves but little did we know just how good of a player Ngumoha was actually really is. There was a lot of hype, and a lot to live up to and over the course of the last year, he's done that. At academy level, Ngumoha has been averaging around 13 dribblers per 90 minutes, and completing over 50% of his attempts. Those are on par with the most skilful players on the planet. In pre-season, he's showing he can translate that to senior level as well. Against AC Milan he was one of the best players on the pitch, creating the most chances (two) and winning the most duels (4) in the first-half. Most importantly, he completed the most dribblers (3) on the same pitch that included Rafael Leao, which is impressive to say the least. Overall as we have no access to data from the Stoke City game, in which Ngumoha scored, he's played around 90 minutes for Liverpool in pre-season so far. In those 90 minutes, Ngumoha has attempted nine dribbles and completed six of them. It's a small sample size but these are the numbers he has produced at academy and youth international level, too. Ngumoha is simply one of the most skilful players on the planet already. He thrives in tight spaces and he has AC Milan's senior players not really knowing how to deal with him. There's no denying he will play more minutes for the first team next season. There's also no denying, Hughes pulled off a major coup when he signed him last summer. With Ngumoha in the side, Slot will finally have that unpredictable element. Add Florian Wirtz to the mix and Liverpool will undoubtedly be even better next season.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Liverpool's BIGGEST transfer decision that Richard Hughes needs to get right
Liverpool are constantly evaluating their plans and nothing if ever really set in stone. In modern football, you have to be adaptable and the club will want all of their bases covered. LFC Kits Shop Now LFC x New Era Shop Now LFC Signed Merch Shop Now LFC x Titleist Shop Now Positions of need have been addressed this summer, notably left-back, right-back and striker, in addition to bringing in a promising goalkeeper who can push Alisson over the next few years. But each of the decisions you make in the transfer market have a direct influence on the prospects of your academy talents, making it harder or easier for them to eventually get a chance in the first-team. When an extraordinary talent comes around, you have to make sure to not block their pathway. Ngumoha needs a chance in Arne Slot's side this season In 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, Liverpool have a potential generational player, who is already delivering at levels far beyond his age. Pre-season has fans incredibly excited about what he could become. Playing at left-wing, the teenager is comfortable taking on his man and creating his own space in tight offensive situations. These are the type of attributes that give you goosebumps as an onlooker. Liverpool need to have different dynamics in the side and a piece of individual brilliance can sometimes be enough to crack open a game. Ngumoha is very much capable of delivering that. Of course, he is still incredibly young and his game will need to mature before he gets a real crack at breaking into the first team, but you feel his raw talent can make a difference for us already.
