The Donkey

[mwake]

Sure Nunez gets some goals sometimes. But after being spoilt with the likes of Mane, Firmino and prime Salah. I find it hard to watch Nunez sometimes, this Chaos merchant crap is just a kind way of saying that he's clumsy sometimes. When was the last time you saw Nunes link up play consistently with the other forwards, intelligently anticipating other forwards' players movements? I don't think he is intelligent enough for that.

West hams Kudus and Olise have that technique, goals and flair that to me make them a better fit as potential Liverpool players, if were trying to replicate the Salah, Mane, Firmono system.

 

[King Binny]

View: https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1784163328153067686

It’s been an interesting season for Nunez. He has improved from last season, there’s no questioning that.

Last season, Nunez was directly involved in 12 goals in 29 Premier League matches, scoring nine and providing three assists. This season he’s on 19 direct goal involvements with 11 goals and eight assists in 32 matches. Per 90 minutes, that’s an improvement from 0.64 goal involvements to 0.86.

He is shooting more frequently (4.76 per 90 to 4.45) and hitting the target more (1.99 per 90 to 1.96), while also averaging a better xG at 0.72 per 90 to 0.64.

Despite the jump in assists, Nunez is slightly less creative with 1.45 chances created more 90 minutes this season compared to 1.48 last year. He is also attempting and completing fewer take-ons this season at 1.59 and 0.68 per 90, down from 1.96 and 0.95.

Nunez is also missing 1.18 big chances per 90 in the Premier League this season, with only Erling Haaland (30) missing more than his 26 across all players. But the difference is that Haaland has scored 16 big chances, while Nunez has only converted six.

 

[Farkmaster]

Thank God we have all this statistical analysis to illuminate what the problem is with Nunez. By watching him I thought it was that he was on ether when clear through, but my understanding has been enriched.

 

[rurikbird]

Statistically or on the eye test, Darwin has improved his ability to lead the line and his interplay with teammates. A couple of months into the season it looked like he’s found a new level and a glut of goals is just around the corner, however 2 big problems quickly emerged:

1. He started to be caught offside with alarming frequency, leading to moves breaking down and frustrating teammates. I’d like to see the stats comparing his offsides last season versus this one (sending @King Binny bat signal), but it feels like it became a more acute problem this season. It’s like last season he was all over the place, running into blind alleys, but after presumably a lot of work on his off-the-balls runs he now is much more often in a position to receive the ball in a dangerous scoring position - but the timing is frequently off. So maybe the reason he’s making so many runs and not getting the service is that teammates don’t trust him to stay onside.

2. His fnishing hasn’t improved, or improved only slightly and the accumulated weight of so many missed chances affected his confidence so that even the parts of his game that seemed pretty good mid-season deteriorated by the end. We saw this with Torres and Werner and Lukaku and other misfiring strikers - after a while they stop believing they will convert even the easiest of chances and they turn to shit completely. This is why I don’t think it’s a viable option to say that as long as Nunez “creates chaos” it doesn’t matter if he scores - that’s not his psychology, he has been brought up as a striker, not a winger or a #10, goals or lack thereof directly affect his confidence. (For comparison, Firmino was never the most clinical of finishers, but that didn’t affect him at all - because he never thought of himself as a #9. Nunez does, for better or for worse).

So overall, I think it’s unfair to say Darwin hasn’t ”evolved” after his first season - the numbers and the eye test both say he’s a better player now. But if he cannot get over a certain threshold of converting chances into goals, even those gains might be lost because in his desperation to score he’ll start making progressively worse and worse decisions and sabotage his own game.

Let’s hope those Slot individual drills work!

 

[Farkmaster]

I wrote earlier this season about how he has definitely been better with hold up play as well as doing dangerous work and hitting some crosses at times. His pressing and positioning off the ball is way better.

His best performances in respect to all of the above was when Salah was out. I do think he's quite dangerous on the left, but not in a team that intends to have a ball a lot, and definitely not against a low block. His best work for our team is going to be leading the line, and as such he needs average finishing.

 

[StevieM]

I wrote earlier this season about how he has definitely been better with hold up play as well as doing dangerous work and hitting some crosses at times. His pressing and positioning off the ball is way better.

His best performances in respect to all of the above was when Salah was out. I do think he's quite dangerous on the left, but not in a team that intends to have a ball a lot, and definitely not against a low block. His best work for our team is going to be leading the line, and as such he needs average finishing.

I hope you mean “above average finishing”

 

[Farkmaster]

I hope you mean “above average finishing”

I don't really. I think if he was an average finisher it would be a large improvement, and given that he gets himself into scoring positions a lot, it'd be fine. Limited shelf life though, as he's purely pace based. I don't see him being a player that ages well.

I don't see how he becomes an above average finisher.

Mane scored some brilliant goals, I don't think I'd put him at above average, just on finishing. I certainly wouldn't put Firmino there. Salah, yes, at times, but the only very pure finisher we've had for years has been Jota, and Lord Divock when it matters.

I still think, for some dumb reason, if you can get Nunez in the right formation, and we have one other fast attacker, then teams will shit themselves, and Nunez will fuck shit up. But he might also fuck a lot of shit up.

 

[King Binny]

1. He started to be caught offside with alarming frequency, leading to moves breaking down and frustrating teammates. I’d like to see the stats comparing his offsides last season versus this one (sending @King Binny bat signal), but it feels like it became a more acute problem this season. It’s like last season he was all over the place, running into blind alleys, but after presumably a lot of work on his off-the-balls runs he now is much more often in a position to receive the ball in a dangerous scoring position - but the timing is frequently off. So maybe the reason he’s making so many runs and not getting the service is that teammates don’t trust him to stay onside.

In the league:

22/23 - 17 offsides in 29 appearances (1698 mins) - offside once every 99.8 mins
23/24 - 30 offsides in 33 appearances (1996 mins) - offside once every 66.5 mins

 

[Farkmaster]

I wish he was offside more in 22/23, because it would mean that we actually had the ball and put some sort of attacking idea together, which we didn't. I'm not sure how much that really means. It would need to be how many times he's offside due to unforced error (i.e. not a slow pass) over how many times he was passed to.

 

[MomoWASright]

In the league:

22/23 - 17 offsides in 29 appearances (1698 mins) - offside once every 99.8 mins
23/24 - 30 offsides in 33 appearances (1996 mins) - offside once every 66.5 mins

He’s ranked number 1 in the premier league this season with 30.

Jackson at Chelsea has 27, Calvert Lewin 22, Meteta 21, Bowen and Wissa are tied 5th with 20.


In 22/23 Vardy finished 1st last season with 29. Mo was caught offside most for us with 22 ending in 4th place.

 

[Frogfish]

He’s ranked number 1 in the premier league this season with 30.

Jackson at Chelsea has 27, Calvert Lewin 22, Meteta 21, Bowen and Wissa are tied 5th with 20.


In 22/23 Vardy finished 1st last season with 29. Mo was caught offside most for us with 22 ending in 4th place.

Even if he's caught offside the most it's still only between 1 to 1.5 times per match, and as usually our most advanced forward playing on the shoulders of the defenders (hence why Haaland also has a lot of offsides) it's the nature of the beast.
Can that be improved? Certainly but it's not really an issue and is far from being a serious issue. Hopefully Slot can improve this and other features of his game.

 

[MomoWASright]

Even if he's caught offside the most it's still only between 1 to 1.5 times per match, and as usually our most advanced forward playing on the shoulders of the defenders (hence why Haaland also has a lot of offsides) it's the nature of the beast.
Can that be improved? Certainly but it's not really an issue and is far from being a serious issue. Hopefully Slot can improve this and other features of his game.

Haaland has been caught offside 10 times since coming to England with just 2 this season. I don’t think that’s him off the shoulder but the slow was city build up against a compact opponent.

I think being offside is a bigger issue than you make out. It’s mistimed runs as well as mistimed passes. But it breaks down a move, possibly even has a goal disallowed as well as providing the opposition opportunities to slow the game down. He’s touching 25 and should be a lot better at that aspect amongst others. If a manger who has won the lot can’t get through to him how would Slot do it?

 

[Frogfish]

Haaland has been caught offside 10 times since coming to England with just 2 this season. I don’t think that’s him off the shoulder but the slow was city build up against a compact opponent.

I think being offside is a bigger issue than you make out. It’s mistimed runs as well as mistimed passes. But it breaks down a move, possibly even has a goal disallowed as well as providing the opposition opportunities to slow the game down. He’s touching 25 and should be a lot better at that aspect amongst others. If a manger who has won the lot can’t get through to him how would Slot do it?

Klopp's not infallible and it seems Slot devises more individual programs than Klopp/Pep (as far as we know). Plus of course tactics and how often a team attacks will be a huge part of that statistic.

This isn't to mitigate those poor offside stats.

 

[Frogfish]

 

[Fabio]

de bruyne is just fucking terrifying isnt he?

Happy darwin is there though, as its the part of his game that isn't appreciated enough. Could see him working well next year if he played LW, rotating with diaz

 

[Frogfish]

de bruyne is just fucking terrifying isnt he?

Happy darwin is there though, as its the part of his game that isn't appreciated enough. Could see him working well next year if he played LW, rotating with diaz

I'm hopeful that Slot's individual player coaching can increase Nunez's shot conversion and offside issues. Of course I've no idea what Klopp & Co are doing with him now but it seems whatever it is it's not enough.

 

[Woland]

You can't polish a turd.

 

[MomoWASright]

I'm hopeful that Slot's individual player coaching can increase Nunez's shot conversion and offside issues. Of course I've no idea what Klopp & Co are doing with him now but it seems whatever it is it's not enough.

They are probably still trying to communicate in English.

 

[StevieM]

They are probably still trying to communicate in English.

Darwin’s still processing the first words Klopp said to him when he signed and considering his response.

 

[tomasjj]

In typical manner of a donkey about to be put down, he will produce something extraordinary by The end of The season to extend his stay.

 

[jexykrodic]

I'm hopeful that Slot's individual player coaching can increase Nunez's shot conversion and offside issues. Of course I've no idea what Klopp & Co are doing with him now but it seems whatever it is it's not enough.

Digesting what Klopp said during the Tottenham presser he's likely to be doing little with Darwin as there is no time due to the hectic match schedule. The 'schedule' seems to necessitate simply playing followed by recovery followed by playing ad infinitum.

 

[Modo]

In typical manner of a donkey about to be put down, he will produce something extraordinary by The end of The season to extend his stay.

I bet he won't.

 

[tomasjj]

I bet he won't.

Then his future is sealed.

 

[Modo]

Then his future is sealed.

I hope his future is signed, sealed, delivered, confirmed, blood tested, judged, sentenced, predestined...
...the fucking fraud.

 

[localny]

You can't polish a turd.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEN76VyYwsU

 

[LarryHagman]

Signing at the same time as Haaland did him no favours. I remember being on the piss during that Charity Shield we won and the bravado was flowing in the place.
Haaland has 88 in 94 since then, Nunez 33 in 93. The gulf is massive.
I always say, he's not completely useless, he's has qualities. But he's not a top striker. Not good enough for a team chasing titles.

 

[Modo]

When the "super fans" on reddit turns on you then something is definitely not right...(see the comments)


View: https://www.reddit.com/r/LiverpoolFC/comments/1cj8voz/this_man_knows_exactly_what_hes_doing_to_us_all/

 

[LarryHagman]

Whoever's in charge of our social media needs to be electrocuted. To death.

 

[Markeh]

When the "super fans" on reddit turns on you then something is definitely not right...(see the comments)


View: https://www.reddit.com/r/LiverpoolFC/comments/1cj8voz/this_man_knows_exactly_what_hes_doing_to_us_all/

“Surprised he's looking at the right camera”

ha!

 

[StevieM]

Signing at the same time as Haaland did him no favours. I remember being on the piss during that Charity Shield we won and the bravado was flowing in the place.
Haaland has 88 in 94 since then, Nunez 33 in 93. The gulf is massive.
I always say, he's not completely useless, he's has qualities. But he's not a top striker. Not good enough for a team chasing titles.

No no no!!!!

You see… you have to discount all his penalties and then look at the minutes he’s been on the pitch and then change it to goals and assists… and then discount everything anyway because they Darwin’s not our number one striker… and anyway they’re different types of players… and it’s unfair to compare Darwin to a top team anyway….

Then you’ll see Darwin is actually better!!!

Ands it’s all M Salah’s fault.