Liverpool followers have a eager eye for the hallmarks of high quality forwards, so why is the jury nonetheless out on Darwin Nunez?
The Uruguayan arrived at Anfield final summer time with all the fanfare you’d anticipate for a centre-forward who may go on to interrupt the membership’s switch document.
It was seen, rightly or wrongly, as a stray from the best way through which Jurgen Klopp usually units up his ahead line.
A tall, highly effective and pacey point of interest is a far cry from the function Roberto Firmino carried out at Liverpool and it marked the start of a 12-month transition in that space of the pitch.
The signing of Cody Gakpo got here six months later and ensured there could be wholesome competitors for locations even after Firmino had waved goodbye.
Regardless of this, Nunez notched 15 targets in all competitions in a marketing campaign that bought off to the worst attainable begin with a crimson card in his dwelling debut.
Why is it, then, that his debut season is considered in such a unfavorable gentle by so many?
Eventful beginnings
Nunez got here off the bench on the opening day of 2022/23 to web a well timed equaliser at Craven Cottage and announce himself to the travelling help.
An clever flick that we now have since seen once more in opposition to Actual Madrid, the purpose was a basic instance of how lethal Liverpool’s new No. 9 could be when he calls upon his intuition.
His dismissal for a headbutting Joachim Andersen 9 days later at Anfield was an illustration of the opposite aspect to him, demonstrating the sting on which he performs that may, at instances, make him so devastating.
Any early momentum from his Premier League debut purpose was promptly wiped away by a three-game ban, however Nunez wasn’t avoided the motion for lengthy.
He was heading in the right direction 4 instances in 5 appearances throughout October, with two of these targets coming from the bench.
However whereas he was quietly going about his enterprise, a lab-grown striker was stealing all the headlines on the opposite aspect of the M62.
Arriving in England similtaneously Erling Haaland was at all times going to current its personal challenges however in actuality, he should have been none of our enterprise.
Nice expectations
A price of 158 minutes per purpose is a wonderfully sufficient return given the staggered nature of his season, however turning into doubtlessly the membership’s document signing naturally brings its personal pressures.
When Liverpool go large they have a tendency to get it proper, and the sustained brilliance of Alisson and Van Dijk attests to that.
At 22 and in a time when the Reds boasted a wealth of attacking choices, he didn’t should be the ahead model of Alisson or Van Dijk, however he did want to provide the supervisor one thing to work with.
There was no scarcity of strikers who’ve gone on to have stellar Anfield careers regardless of comparatively modest begins.
Luis Suarez, nonetheless thought-about by some to be the best participant within the membership’s fashionable historical past, netted 17 instances in his first full season on the membership – and that was with a operating begin having joined in January.
Sadio Mane managed simply 13 targets in his first Reds marketing campaign and his strike associate Roberto Firmino netted 11 a yr earlier.
When Nunez signed, Klopp burdened that the membership have been buying a “work in progress” in a bid to handle expectations from day one.
Huge charges don’t at all times essentially should translate into explosive early impacts, and in handing the Uruguayan a six-year deal Liverpool have been getting themselves a ahead for the long run as a lot as the current.
No extra time for speaking
It goes with out saying that he should ship if given the chance in 2023/24 and one other 15-goal tally won’t be sufficient to maintain him immune from scrutiny.
His late brace at Newcastle, nonetheless, was a well timed instance that he’s able to delivering precisely what’s required and that he’s not merely the “chaotic” possibility off the bench that he’s so usually made out to be.
The phrase “uncooked” is an identical adjective that’s thrown round when discussing Nunez’s attributes, however Klopp’s “work in progress” quote is an indication that the intention was by no means to signal a striker that may rival Haaland’s output from the get-go.
The 22-year-old himself mentioned in February: “One thing related occurred to me already at Benfica. The primary yr went very badly for me and within the second, I exploded.
“Right here, I feel the identical factor is occurring. I hope subsequent season will probably be like that. I’ll put my finest ahead and hopefully, I’ll get a little bit of luck.”
If that’s his mindset, then who’re we to doubt him?
If he believes a 15-goal season went “very badly” then we’re going to have numerous enjoyable discovering out what he’s able to as soon as he has “exploded.”
Nunez will want the “luck” he referenced, as all forwards do, and he’ll should be given a daily run within the aspect which will probably be no foregone conclusion when Gakpo and Diogo Jota live on.
In addition to describing him as a “work in progress” Klopp additionally mentioned Nunez is somebody who can “threaten area from central and huge areas” and minutes have been made obtainable to him on the left flank final season.
His function in pre-season and within the early levels of 2023/24, in addition to the easy truth he was awarded the No. 9 shirt in the summertime, indicate that this isn’t going to be the case shifting ahead.
Liverpool will at some point should plan for all times with out Mohamed Salah and they’re going to want somebody they will depend on to be the primary man up high.
Darwin Nunez possesses all the instruments to grow to be that participant. He’s not “only a sh*t Andy Carroll.”
