Steve Nicol gives unflattering Darwin Nunez verdict as struggles proceed

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October 3, 2024

Liverpool’s begin to life underneath Arne Slot continues to go from energy to energy, with the brand new head coach already setting information after the latest 2-0 win over Bologna within the Champions League.

Slot has made an prompt influence on the way in which the crew play, with a slower buildup from the again key to creating area larger up the pitch for the forwards to use.

This method has benefited among the attacking gamers already, with Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo each extremely harmful coming from the left hand aspect, and Mohamed Salah at his normal constant finest.

Nonetheless, one Liverpool participant is trying “misplaced” in Slot’s aspect, in line with membership legend Steve Nicol.

One of many most important criticisms aimed toward Slot’s aspect to date is a scarcity of innovative, with followers and pundits typically pissed off at gamers selecting the flawed choice on the flawed time, with Darwin Nunez the principle perpetrator when he’s on the pitch.

“I’m afraid Nunez appears a bit misplaced, to be fairly sincere,” Nicol mentioned, on ESPN after the Bologna game. “He obtained substituted and Jota got here on, however basically all of the entrance gamers must do higher with the ultimate ball, the ultimate go, the ultimate choice. If they will get that proper, they’ll rating plenty of targets.”

NUNEZ HAS BLINKERS ON

Nunez accomplished simply 33% of his passes against Bologna, and it’s clear that he’s low on confidence – an actual downside for a participant who can look unstoppable when he believes his hype.

That psychological resilience is one thing that he needs to add to his game if he’s going to turn out to be an everyday fixture in Slot’s beginning eleven.

“It’s actually the psychological aspect of the sport,” Nicol mentioned. “It’s the psychological aspect.

“I’m certain they’ve any individual who can sit and speak to him and maintain him constructive, maintain reassuring him and all of these issues however on the finish of the day most of it comes all the way down to the participant themselves to recover from it and sadly, proper now, he can’t get out of his personal method. He’s working offside, a few instances when he tried to shoot he ought to have handed it.

“The tougher it will get, the much less you see. When issues are going properly your imaginative and prescient is nice, your eyes are extensive open and you may see the runs, you may see the online, you may see every little thing. However if you’re struggling, my goodness, the blinkers come on after which abruptly every little thing turns into tough.”

SLOT DEFENDS NUNEZ

Whereas followers and pundits have voiced their concern at Nunez’s type, Slot has publicly backed the Uruguayan to seek out his ft.

“I don’t assume it’s honest to say he solely scored one [goal since April] since you even have to have a look at the enjoying time,” Slot mentioned when requested about Nunez’s lack of targets after the Bologna sport.

“I feel this was his third begin of the season so I don’t take a look at it in the way in which you do and solely concentrate on the person. I feel within the first hour we didn’t create lot of probabilities for him as a result of we missed out on the final go on quite a lot of events.”

NUNEZ HAS THE TALENT

Regardless of his poor type, Germany legend Jurgen Klinsmann backed Nunez to succeed at Liverpool, disagreeing with Nicol on ESPN.

“I completely imagine that he has the expertise and the qualities to play on that degree, to play on the highest degree within the Premier League and likewise the Champions League,” Klinsmann mentioned.

“It’s only a query of consistency, he nonetheless hasn’t found out learn how to be constant on the highest degree – he offers you sensible video games however then you definitely don’t see him for a few weeks. I hope that he can work that out down the street however I nonetheless imagine he has every little thing he must be a top-class striker.”

Liverpool have been linked with quite a lot of strikers in latest months, and with Atletico Madrid rumoured to be lining up a move for Nunez, the subsequent few months will probably be essential if he is to succeed at Anfield.