Jan Molby has given a scathing verdict on one Liverpool player who he’s accused of acting ‘like a kid’.
Jeremie Frimpong was the first of numerous signings made by the Reds last summer, although his debut campaign at Anfield has been hampered by injuries, with three separate hamstring problems seeing him miss 19 games in total (Transfermarkt).
That has undoubtedly limited his impact on Merseyside thus far, but former LFC midfielder Molby has felt short-changed by what he’s seen from the 25-year-old.
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Speaking to Anfield Index about Frimpong, the ex-Liverpool player remarked: “I’ve always been a little bit critical, because look beyond his pace and then tell me where are the top-four Premier League qualities. I don’t see it.
“Sometimes on the pitch he acts like a kid, he sometimes plays like a kid, and he looks like a kid when you see the size of him next to some of them. It doesn’t mean he’s not a great footballer, but this is just a different ball game.
“You’ve got to be able to look after yourself, to be physical, to play, and I just can’t see in what world that what turns this [around] is Frimpong and his pace. I can’t have that.”
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Molby isn’t the only pundit who’s recently been critical of the Liverpool right-back – Gabby Agbonlahor claimed that the signing ‘hasn’t worked’ and that the 25-year-old is ‘not good’ in either a defensive or an attacking sense.
Considering how exciting Frimpong can be going forward, and the goal contribution numbers he regularly put up at Bayer Leverkusen, a return of two goals and two assists in 31 games this season has felt underwhelming even when accounting for his injury problems.
His defensive work has also been called into question in recent months, with the Dutchman liable to be caught out of position on the counterattack given his propensity to attack, and there’s certainly an ideal balance to be found between those conflicting duties.
The right-back has room for improvement, but we feel that some of the criticism of him has been harsh. His energy and enterprise along the flank has been a welcome antidote to the often turgid play from Liverpool this term, and the injuries have prevented him from properly getting into a rhythm.
Frimpong is something of a rough diamond, but once those edges are smoothed out, we’re convinced that he’ll become an enormous asset to the Reds and a hugely influential player in Arne Slot’s line-up (so long as he stays fit).