Waddle: Liverpool Must Not Stifle Ngumoha's Flair and Spark – Don't Just Keep Issuing Instructions

November 13 – Former England international Chris Waddle has said in an interview that Liverpool must not grind down Ngumoha's innate flair through over-coaching. He believes the youngster should be encouraged rather than restricted in his dribbling and chance-creating ability.

Waddle said: "Ngumoha is a joy to watch. He's young and doesn't overthink when he plays. He just goes out there, plays his own game and enjoys it. Unfortunately, this type of player always runs into a situation: some coaches come in and demand they change the way they play, and in the end they become an ordinary player. If you have the talent to carry the ball, with outstanding pace and dribbling ability, then let the player express it – just let them play that way!"

"Nowadays, ninety-five percent of matches have become 'get the ball and pass it.' Don't take away the qualities of these players who dare to dribble and actively create chances. I'm not saying Liverpool will do that, but you have to give him room to grow and let Ngumoha play freely."

"If you want to win major trophies, we need players like this – players who can beat a man one-on-one, create chances, even score themselves. A team can't be full of ordinary players who just follow the script. But unfortunately, our country often unearths these talents and then coaches their gifts away in training. I really can't understand that approach."

"When a player has a unique ability, you should let them use it. Yes, his play will occasionally be frustrating, but it's exactly these players who can decide matches, and we're already short of creative players."

"Any team needs all kinds of players. You need hard-running workers, tall players, physically strong players, good passers – but you also need creative, artistic players. How well a striker performs largely depends on the teammates creating chances for him. If a team has no creative players, the striker can only hope for opposition mistakes or set pieces to get shooting opportunities – and that's it. That's why we can't do without these creative players."

"It hasn't been easy for Ngumoha to get to where he is today. Don't extinguish his spark. Encourage him more and let him express himself. As he gains experience, he'll naturally learn when to pass and when to keep carrying the ball. Don't keep telling him 'you lost the ball, you lost it again, don't play like that' – that will damage his confidence. He's not a worker-type player who battles for loose balls; what we need is for him to get on the ball and show his talent. I hope Liverpool encourage Ngumoha to keep playing this way, and if he plays for England, please loosen the reins on him too."

"Don't just keep handing out rules and instructions – otherwise, why call up Ngumoha in the first place?"

Source: LFC Frontpage