Cody Gakpo has opened up about Liverpool’s ongoing struggles ahead of their Champions League match tomorrow, calling for calm and togetherness at a moment when the team is clearly feeling the weight of recent results. His comments came after Liverpool’s disappointing loss to Nottingham Forest at Anfield, as covered by SoftFootball.
The defeat added fresh pressure on Arne Slot, whose side has looked far from the one that fought for the title last season. SoftFootball also reported that Virgil van Dijk admitted the team is letting Arne Slot down, which matches the tone of Gakpo’s reflections.
Gakpo spoke honestly about the team’s fading resilience in a post shared by Fabrizio Romano on his official X account. Slot himself recently acknowledged the team’s inconsistency, taking responsibility and insisting recovery is still possible.
Fabrizio Romano posted:
Cody Gakpo on resilience: I don’t know where it’s gone but we should try to get back to that.
We know we are in a difficult position. We have to stick together and that’s what we try to do on and off pitch, mentally and performance wise.
The Dutch forward has grown into a more vocal figure inside the dressing room, especially after what the squad endured earlier this year. He described the emotional moments around the group as very difficult and said the players had to support each other like a family.
That experience, combined with the personal challenges Gakpo faced earlier in his career, has shaped the leadership he now brings.
His former PSV youth coach, Scheepers, once said:
When he was a little bit down or his progress didn’t go the way he wanted, he had the resilience and strength to come back. It’s unbelievable.
It is this same mindset Liverpool hope to lean on now.
Gakpo’s versatility has also become important as Slot experiments to regain attacking rhythm. Whether he plays wide or centrally, he keeps stressing that the pressing and intensity must start from the front. For him, Liverpool’s goals for the season have not changed.
He explained that the team wants to compete strongly in every competition and improve their Champions League run compared to last year.
He said:
It starts with us and it’s a team thing. We have to do it together.
Liverpool are aiming to rediscover the spark that made them champions, and Gakpo’s message is simple: nobody fixes this alone. The group have to pull together, rebuild their rhythm and find the resilience that has gone missing.
