The Donkey

[Farkmaster]

I don't think any of our forwards are a patch on what we had a few years ago. Salah doesn't offer threat behind anymore, Nunez does but can't finish his dinner, and gakpo can play firminos role, but not as well, and not with Nunez in front of him. Diaz is just nowhere near mane at all, with too much superfluous dribbling, less speed, and less threat in general.

Their performances might be seen as more promising but we are comparing them to an utterly devastating front three, at the height of their power in perfect synergy. It's kindof unfair.

 

[StevieM]

Well the full breakdown (according to Transfermarkt) is 8 as CF, 5 as AM, 1 x CM, 1 x LW and 1 x RW. So pretty much every game bar one in which you'd expect a potential goal contribution. Especially considering how flexible we are to positional rotation within a match.

However as I said I'm a Gakpo fan (as well as a Nunez fan) so I'm not going to go out of my way to find stats that denigrate him. Nevertheless since we're comparing head to head then he has a goal or assist every 133.75 mins for us this season (185.6 mins last season - all games for LFC) compared to Nunez's 86.07 (124.47 mins last season - all games for LFC). Also zero goals as a midfielder but of those goals you list 2 were against LASK and 1 each against under-strength Leicester and Bournemouth in the LC. He also scored against Wolves and Spurs in the PL.

I agree Nunez obviously should be scoring more (4 - against Newcastle, West Ham and Forest in the PL) but he has also scored goals against Brazil, Argentina and Colombia in his 8 goals and 3 assists for Uruguay, in 2023 alone.
I don't even want to get into his Benfica stats which were superb in his 2nd year. All of which however goes to prove that we are nowhere near getting the best out of him and that it is up to our coaching and Klopp's tactics to make that happen.

As for the 'unselfish running' comment, that's not something applicable solely to Gakpo, they both create space for others with their off the ball running and hold up play.

From LFC History (all games for LFC).
Nunez : Games/goals ratio: 2.95 / Games/assists ratio: 6.5
Gakpo : Games/goals ratio: 3.54 / Games/assists ratio: 15.33

All of which is to say, regardless of what happens versus United, for me Nunez still has money in the bank and is well ahead of Gakpo for the CF position simply based on his total contributions. His xG is far less than it should be (whereas Gakpo's is slightly above expected, meaning there's more room for improvement for Nunez) but he is still a major benefactor to our wins/performances whether or not he's the one scoring the goals.

I'll stay with my assertion that Gakpo - Nunez - Salah is probably our best attacking line up for this Sunday.

I agree that Nunez starts in the 9 role - as you say he has money in the bank, but he’s burning up his credit fast.

Can’t help but add than Nunez has played more minutes in total against Lask over 2 games than Gakpo, scoring once and also scored against the weakened Bournemouth in the League Cup.

The assists are definitely helping Nunez figures this season.

The only thing I’d say is - if Nunez was been played in different positions like Gakpo, would it have improved or reduced his output and could you say if Gakpo has played solely as a CF would it have improved his output?

The other option is, when he’s fit, Jota at CF who has a better goalscoring record than Nunez, but not the assists.

Anyway, I agree with your front line of Salah, Nunez & Gakpo - I’d just structure it differently.

 

[Donavan Ried]

It's everybody else's fault?

The fualt may not be everyone elses, but It does not help when we fail to release him early enough

 

[Donavan Ried]

This isn't it, he frequently mistimes his run and goes too early so the player in posession ignores him

Yes It happens, It not just one thing it is both, but sometimes he sets off looking for that ball over the top and it rarely comes

 

[RedStar]

Except that the majority of his goals have come before 60 mins this season. Bar those two at Newcastle and one at 70 mins.

Of his 7 goals this season only 2 have come in the first half. Of his 4 league goals only 1 is earlier than the 60th min.

 

[Frogfish]

Of his 7 goals this season only 2 have come in the first half. Of his 4 league goals only 1 is earlier than the 60th min.

LASK : 56'
Toulouse : 34'
Forest L: 35'
Bournemouth : 70'
West Ham : 60'
Newcastle : 81' + 90'

Nobody said anything about the 1st half. It's a fact that all teams score more in the 2nd anyway. Of his 7 goals only 2 have come after the 70' minute, both vs Newcastle. 4 of his 7 goals have come before the end of the 60th minute so as I stated, the majority of his goals come before 60 minutes has elapsed (because 60 + 1 second is now the 61st).

Here's another take on it, he's come on as a sub 11 times this season and scored in just 2 of those games (Bournemouth and Newcastle).

 

[King Binny]

 

[binomial]

Fuck off Darwin.

 

[Cerberus]

I'd sell him back to Benfica tomorrow for peanuts. He's fucking gash.

We need someone who can score goals.

This fella just runs around alot and fucks everything up.

 

[King Binny]

Is he going to be Klopp's next Immobile?

 

[refugee]

I lost patience last season.

 

[localny]

Offered nothing today.

 

[tomasjj]

not easy building a new team
you will buy some duds on the way to nirvana

 

[mwake]

I want to complain, and then I see that goals wise collectively we are one of the top scorers and that this is our first 0-0 for a while.


I'm gonna wait till the end of the season before making my final judgement on Nunez but so far, I'm not feeling him, he's a "meme player" at the moment and thats no better than Origi was.

 

[Fabio]

The front 5 are are completely devoid of confidence, and for me it's down to klopps insistence on building the play. Every one of them has been horribly guilty of taking an extra touch, or making the extra pass, when the opportunity was there to shoot. The decision making ability of our attack at the moment is completely absent

 

[tomasjj]

over-coached?

 

[StevieM]

over-coached?

over-rated more like.

It’s increasingly looking like we got conned into overpaying for an average player on the back of the one stellar season he’s had in his career.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

I never rated Nunez highly from Day 1 because he doesn’t have the right attitude.

He has the talent obviously but unless he changes his attitude he’ll never learn.

 

[StevieM]

I never rated Nunez highly from Day 1 because he doesn’t have the right attitude.

He has the talent obviously but unless he changes his attitude he’ll never learn.

I’ve been pretty critical of Darwin - but his attitude is probably the one thing I can’t fault him on - so I’m not entirely sure what you’re on about there.

He work rate is good and he’s tried to learn and improve, which is kind of what you want - he just comes across as a bit thick and inconsistent.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

Look at his body language since he's joined, his responses when things don't go well for him....and then compare them to a player like Endo.

One, plays like a small kid who cries when he feels the world's against him.

The other, never complains, just buckles down, works hard and makes the most of every chance that's given to him.

Alright, Nunez does work hard but he gets too easily wound up, and when opponents press the right buttons, he goes full donkey mode - loses discipline positionally, shoots wildly at everything on sight (or not, and chooses to pass instead of shoot), and momentarily forgets everything he's been coached to do.

In short, yes he's thick. But i still reckon his problem is emotional and psychological. Once he's got that sorted, then you'll see the Nunez who showed glimpses of his talent in the last few games he's played for Uruguay. I dunno if it's Bielsa or if he feels a lot more comfortable with his fellow latinos, but he strikes me as someone who needs to feel loved, special and understood before he comes out of his man-cave and show the world who he really is.

 

[King Binny]

 

[StevieM]

Look at his body language since he's joined, his responses when things don't go well for him....and then compare them to a player like Endo.

One, plays like a small kid who cries when he feels the world's against him.

The other, never complains, just buckles down, works hard and makes the most of every chance that's given to him.

Alright, Nunez does work hard but he gets too easily wound up, and when opponents press the right buttons, he goes full donkey mode - loses discipline positionally, shoots wildly at everything on sight (or not, and chooses to pass instead of shoot), and momentarily forgets everything he's been coached to do.

In short, yes he's thick. But i still reckon his problem is emotional and psychological. Once he's got that sorted, then you'll see the Nunez who showed glimpses of his talent in the last few games he's played for Uruguay. I dunno if it's Bielsa or if he feels a lot more comfortable with his fellow latinos, but he strikes me as someone who needs to feel loved, special and understood before he comes out of his man-cave and show the world who he really is.

Surely that’s all personality rather than attitude and similar to loads of South Americans and Spanish/Portuguese players.

I don’t see Nunez as anywhere near as bad as some players in that respect.

Virgil comes across as a grumpy fucker that blames everyone else for mistakes - not that he makes many.

 

[RedStar]

over-coached?

I don't think he can be coached, he's an instinctive player who seems to struggled badly when given time to overthink things. There were reports around 3 months into his first season that the coaching staff had grown exasperated by his inability to follow tactical instructions. He really hasn't improved in that respect.

 

[Holle]

He's shite. Always will be.

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

Surely that’s all personality rather than attitude and similar to loads of South Americans and Spanish/Portuguese players.

I don’t see Nunez as anywhere near as bad as some players in that respect.

Virgil comes across as a grumpy fucker that blames everyone else for mistakes - not that he makes many.

Listen most latinas I know are somewhat crazy and that’s why they’re one of the sexiest women out there. I get it. It’s something in their culture that makes them passionate, wild and spicy.

But Nunez is a tall, big fully grown man. Not some man child. For that amount of money don’t blame me if I was expecting a Suarez or a Cavani. Instead we got a latino Cisse/Carroll who doesn’t seem to learn.

 

[StevieM]

Listen most latinas I know are somewhat crazy and that’s why they’re one of the sexiest women out there. I get it. It’s something in their culture that makes them passionate, wild and spicy.

But Nunez is a tall, big fully grown man. Not some man child. For that amount of money don’t blame me if I was expecting a Suarez or a Cavani. Instead we got a latino Cisse/Carroll.

I mean… Suarez… the man who bites people with his massive chompers and regularly loses his shit isn’t exactly the one I’d have gone for as an example of Latino calmness and maturity.

He’s just a bit “Tim Nice But Dim”

 

[My_Blood_Bleeds_Red]

Yeah but Suarez was (still is) one of the best forwards who has ever played for us.

If Nunez had 1/3rds of Suarez, we’d be 20 points ahead of everyone else by now.

 

[StevieM]

Yeah but Suarez was (still is) one of the best forwards who has ever played for us.

If Nunez had 1/3rds of Suarez, we’d be 20 points ahead of everyone else by now.

That’s nothing to do with attitude though - that’s skill level.

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

When Scott McTominay has more goals than him half way through the season, you've got to hope for a lot more.

 

[Modo]

It's not an attitude issue causing him to miscontrol the ball, miss several chances and make dumb decisions.

That's down to terrible scouting from our side.

It's clear that we overpaid for a project.