We're currently in period of transition between two systems, but there will be a longer-term plan to evolve further once Salah departs, and that can potentially favour both Nunez and Elliott. The Salah contract renewal has complicated the evolution of the side, as now we're forced to play a system which provides chances to our top two threats. The irony here is that Salah and Elliott clearly have a great relationship both off and on the field, but from a footballing perspective, we will likely see the best of Elliott once Salah departs.
Even the most optimistic Liverpool fan would accept that Nunez is unlikely to morph into a clever link up player, or one who will create chances for himself out of nothing. He's got a lot of raw tools in his locker, but that's not who he is as a footballer. Nunez needs to be getting on the end of moves rather than the one starting them. To create this, we will likely have to boost out creative output in the middle of the park, with more technically able CM's, who can use clever movement and maintain possession for longer periods. Klopp recently said that Nunez would have scored a lot more goals if he was playing with the Man City side than a Liverpool side. He's right, and this may provide some insight into how we want to use Nunez in the future.
Elliott is another who would shine more in City's current set up than our own. Intelligent, technically able AMs thrive when combined with others. They can pass-and-move and cause all sorts of chaos, whilst knowing their ability to hold onto the ball will reduce the chances of a turnover and allow them to be more fluid in their play. We haven't really got these. We've got Thiago, who has all the skills, but he's more of an architect from the holding position, and then Henderson, Milner and Keita, who are left-overs from a high-pressing, workman like midfield. This is a bit of a reach, because Klopp may well not be here, but I think it's likely we'll morph into a fluid 4-2-3-1, with attacking midfielders buzzing around Nunez, who will be the focal point of this fluidity. If we do reach this final form, then we'll be getting the best out of both Elliott and Nunez, and potentially Carvalho, too.
