13 Dec 2023 09:01:45
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new player profile about, Darwin Nunez

1.) 13 Dec 2023
13 Dec 2023 09:37:07
Nunez is a strange one as he’s clearly an icon amongst the fan base despite not quite achieving icon status on the pitch for us.

The last home Europa game the crowd was pretty flat and came alive midway through the first half when he started warming up as a sub.

He definitely has the attributes to produce far better than what he has and he has the backing of the Liverpool crowd who will chant Nunez, Nunez Nunez at the top of their voice in anything he does whether good or bad.

In the league he’s currently joint 25th top scorer and has more goals for Uruguay this season than he does in the PL. with his last league goal coming in Oct against Forrest.

I think Saturday was one of his most frustrating games for us as he seemed to be offside more time than he was onside.

I’ve seen people compare him with Suarez and his first season but the difference is Suarez first season was 6 months and then he exploded and Nunez is now on month 18.

Despite that though his link up play this season compared to last has been the biggest improvement I’ve seen in a Liverpool player in such a short period of time and the guy certainly is an asset who actually helps create an atmosphere at Anfield when he plays.

2.) 13 Dec 2023
13 Dec 2023 09:18:14
Great review Ed.

I have massive faith in Nunez.
I think he will test that faith for another little while but I think he will end up a very special player and the leader of our attack after Salah moves/ retires.

{Ed001's Note - Salah has always been prone to misses too, so I hope you are right.}

3.) 13 Dec 2023
13 Dec 2023 10:08:20
That's just nunez summed up there! Must admit I like him as a player but think he has been poor from the last international break, as all 5 of our forwards have been. We will definitely need them playing better from Sunday onwards. I think utd + arsenal games at anfield is exactly what they need, they have to step it up.

4.) 13 Dec 2023
13 Dec 2023 11:07:36
Brlliant analysis as usual, Ed01. Darwin is and possesses everything you want in a striker except consistent goalscoring which is something he can be coached on and that he can work on. See his Benfica numbers in his last season before joining. IMO, we look more of an attacking threat when he is on the pitch cos NO defence is at ease with the qualities he possesses, that's just a fact which is why as you say, he starts in the CF position ahead of Gakpo more often than not, IMO. If he was down to just goalscoring then Jota and Salah would start and Jota is not the player Darwin is, simple as.

Also apart from him not being clinical enuff, something that definitely needs to be improved upon for sure but apart from that, what else does Darwin lack in terms of raw ability? IMO, not much. Get the goalscoring consistency sorted (and that may take some time) and you have one of the best CF's on the planet on our hands, IMO. now if people are over-impatient then, not much can be done there.

{Ed001's Note - the only thing I would say he lacks is a calm head. He can get wound up as he is very emotional. But I am not sure he would be as good if you stopped that.}

5.) 13 Dec 2023
13 Dec 2023 11:23:25
Ed001, just out of curiosity, which is your preference between Nunez and Gakpo? If you were to pick only one, which one would it be? Captain Chaos or "Mr. Technical, calm and collected"?

{Ed001's Note - has to be Captain Chaos, but Gakpo looked a lot better out wide in the Eredivisie, so I wouldn't say it is necessarily a straight choice between them. It is also whether Diaz should be in the team rather than both of them.}

6.) 13 Dec 2023
13 Dec 2023 11:25:08
Great read Ed001. Even with his poor finishing of simple chances, I just love him to bits. What was telling for me about his cult hero status with us fans is how in the Sheffield Utd game, when he won the ball back and assisted Dom for the goal, the fans chanted Nunez instead of the goal scorer's name - very rare to see something like that. I hope it all starts to fall into place for him soon. If he can start being more cool headed, calculated and lethal in front of cold, then my gosh, we will have a player that will make opposition defenses give up before a ball is even kicked yet. He already strikes fear into them. but when it all clicks for him, nothing and no one will stop him.

{Ed001's Note - it is hard not to love him. He plays like a fan in the shirt, running himself into the ground.}

7.) 13 Dec 2023
13 Dec 2023 12:32:19
Defo plays like a fan, love him.

8.) 13 Dec 2023
13 Dec 2023 14:12:18
I think his drop in form has been a bit overstated. We’ve just been playing against teams that sit in and deny space. Darwin is best against teams where he can run in behind and he just hasn’t had that opportunity for a few weeks.

His work rate is immense and his pressing has become much more intelligent this season as has his link up play particularly with Salah.

I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the finishing will come and he’ll be an absolute beast for us. I love the guy, not too sure about the pig tails though.

9.) 13 Dec 2023
13 Dec 2023 14:43:39
I'm calling it now, he'll get a hat trick at the weekend! Love him to bits, easily my favourite player now.

10.) 13 Dec 2023
13 Dec 2023 19:42:07
Exactly, Ed01. He can get hot-headed at times but for someone who has read his history and how he made it in football (which he almost quit), that hot headed and will to win, is what got him here.

Sure, we can work on that and he is showing he can calm down BUT we take that completely away from him, then we will lose him completely. I love the kid to bits and IMO, if you are not excited to watch Darwin play then frankly, I don't know what you want. The kid is edge-of-your-seat stuff, mate.

11.) 14 Dec 2023
13 Dec 2023 22:30:54
Great sum up Ed001. I love the bloke. Think most do, although I do still think there's room for Gapko to play up top depending on the opposition as I think he links the play a little better like Bobby used to, or at least he did. Nunez has bettered that area of his game massively since last year in my opinion.
Having such opinions kind of makes me wish we would play 442 with Gapko and Nunez up top and Diaz/ Salah on the wings. Old school I know but I always loved a good old fashioned strike partnership.