"When a football club doesn't do as well as people expect, or expectations drop or levels drop, then fans will look to find blame somewhere.
Whether it's the board, the manager or the players," said McAteer.
McAteer noted that the demands placed on Premier League wingers often lead to inconsistent fan perceptions.
"I felt, last season, Cody took a lot of criticism, and unfair criticism.
I think Cody Gakpo is a really hard-working individual who always tries his best for the team. He will nick a goal.
He can be predictable, he can drop in and out of games.
At times he can be frustrating but listen, that's the life of a winger in the Premier League," said McAteer.
The former midfielder highlighted Gakpo's strong international performances as evidence of his core quality.
"Cody seems to relish playing for his country. I played with players who seemed to really enjoy going away on international duty.
They felt more comfortable and you'd get better performances, or it looked that way," said McAteer.
McAteer stressed that Gakpo's professional demeanor made him an easy target for criticism.
"At a time when the club wasn't doing well, and people wanted to point fingers, it was easy to point one at Cody because he's not going to throw his arms up, he's not gonna kick a fuss up, he's not gonna go to the newspapers, he's not gonna have a go at the crowd.
I felt he was an easy target," said McAteer.
Addressing competition from emerging youngster Rio Ngumoha, McAteer acknowledged the fan preference for individual flair.
"He was under pressure last season from Rio," said McAteer.
He explained that supporters naturally gravitated toward uninhibited attacking talents during the season.
"Everyone wanted to see a bit more of the exciting, flair, guile player. Everybody loves that kind of player.
This World Cup was littered with them and we're all talking about individuals," said McAteer.
McAteer concluded that team-oriented tactical discipline remains essential despite squad competition.
"But sometimes you need a bit of a team player and that's what Cody is. So he was always fighting it," said McAteer.
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Gakpo remains under contract at Liverpool through the summer of 2030 following his £37 million move from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023.
