Don’t disagree, but we’re not replacing him this window - either try to find a way to utilise him and get him at least putting the ball in the back of the net a few times - or we need to find goals from elsewhere.
The Donkey
- Thread starter rurikbird
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Don’t disagree, but we’re not replacing him this window - either try to find a way to utilise him and get him at least putting the ball in the back of the net a few times - or we need to find goals from elsewhere.
Score important goals in the league and on the way to winning the CL too.
He's not at our level. A few goals off the bench is about it for him and that's just not good enough for Liverpool #9. I don't think he's capable of improving.
He'd need to be scoring a goal a game to really suggest we should think about keeping him, he won't though.
At the moment we're probably saying "just get rid"
If he gets another 5-10 goals this season it might be "get rid only for over 30m"
He gets 10-15, "get rid for 40+"
He does something ungodly and gets 15-20+ in the remaing games across all comps? Then there might be discussions
To stay? Yeah a goal a game and Slot building adapting the side around to accommodate him. Neither will happen. Alternatively a club doesn't meet our optimistic valuation, which is more than likely.
Once Jota was given the starting role both in preseason and the opening two months, the writing was on the wall that Slot wasn't going to change anything to suit Nunez. The results validated his decision to do so and then some.
The caveats here are that Slot may not have a choice. Diaz could continue to be ineffective and Jota too in and out to be relied upon as a starter, so it could give Nunez some scope to contribute more than be has. History tells us to not be optimistic.
Once Jota was given the starting role both in preseason and the opening two months, the writing was on the wall that Slot wasn't going to change anything to suit Nunez. The results validated his decision to do so and then some.
The caveats here are that Slot may not have a choice. Diaz could continue to be ineffective and Jota too in and out to be relied upon as a starter, so it could give Nunez some scope to contribute more than be has. History tells us to not be optimistic.
LOL - To repeat this performance - we have to make him the focal point of the attack. Just wondering with all that control business we do in the first half - why don't we play a type of mid-block and tell Nunez - right just stay in line with their defence and we will lob the ball over to you in some space - don't pass it just run and shoot for goal. If we do this 30 times in the first half - he is at least going to get 2 goals right ?
Even the world's best can hardly score at that rate! I think Owen was a 50% man and nobody ever suggested he wasn't good enough.
Owen wasn't making up for 6 months of dross though
He needs to be a lot more than good to make up for how ineffective he's been. He needs to be fantastic for the rest of the season to warrant bering kept on.
Aspas
We've tried this already. He can't stay in line with their defence. Again it's just a slight adjustment and something he could get right if he'd just be a bit less wank.
Insane, was Rickie Lambert a number 9 as well? I have this picture in my head for some reason, even though he probably played about 15 minutes for us altogether
We've had more than one.
err .... (apologies)
Vivid memories, unfortunately
Have we really tried it ? - I had the same argument with @StevieM a while ago where I was making the excuse for him that when he was getting all those chances that he was missing - on many occasions I don't think he was expecting them to fall to him. We never even under Klopp made him the focal point - but that I mean - he makes that waiting for the through ball or ball over the top to setup him up - I remember him in his first season begging for the ball to be played like that and the likes of Henderson and Co would just pass back or hold onto the ball. Now either the other players were incapable of making those passes is another question but to me it seemed like - No we are not going to play like that where we depend on one player (which I also agree with).
Every missed chance from him no matter how hard or easy - everyone is expecting him to score a goal. This season he is not getting the chances and a lot of that is to do with other players just not passing to him, they always look for Mo, and even Mo is not really helping him - as he is always looking for Gakpo. My worry is that he is the only guy up front who has unreal pace compared to the other forwards and that always helps in restricting the opposition defences back line position, and I am pretty sure every opposition team worries about this guy of ours.
This post is not me saying I want him to stay - I think he is such conundrum that he splits the fans and is a cause for arguments - we are better off without him, but please don't tell me we used him to the best of his strengths because we did not. He is not a system player and I don't think he intelligent enough (game intelligence) to follow any system - he is someone you treat like a dog - where you put the ball in his direction and say "Got fetch and fucking score" - and you keep doing that until he scores.
The problem with through balls or balls over the top with him is that he's always offside. The way you get best out of him is firing it across the box to him where he's three yards out and can't miss, like on Saturday. Slot prefers more fluid football around the final third, I think most of us do. Still, useful to have on the bench etc.
We did make him more of a primary target though - that was the whole point of Trent always inverting and his going more direct and long.
It’s wasn’t necessarily about playing Nunez in to score - he was providing Salah with a lot of assists.
As Woland mentioned, Nunez wasn’t canny enough to stay onside - don’t recall seeing him bending his runs like, say Owen - Munez was just to direct almost.
Regardless, doesn’t matter what way we play, the issue with Darwin is always going to be he’s a bit thick (gets involved in spats and gets stupid yellow cards), he’s not good at staying onside and his finishing is erratic.
His main saving grace is, despite all that he’d probably still rank in the top 20 for number 9’s in the world (taking out more false 9 types) and there aren’t many of the better ones that are actually singable, either due to age, cost or where they’re currently at.
I can't think of many more likable divisive players than Darwin. I think for his sheer attitude and playfulness we all wanted him to succeed. He's a good player, he's not a natural, clinical finisher in some instances, but he can be in others. I think, as Woland alluded to, if you get the ball across to him inside the box he will score goals (see Madrid and a lot of his earlier goals for us) but if you put him through on goal he's indecisive and lacks confidence and intelligence.
He can be a threat though. Diaz has purple patches, as does Gapko, none of them are particularly clinical or reliable in front of goal, compared to other players. If we didn't have Salah we'd really struggle for goals and you can see when he isn't firing, just how much of an impact that then has on the rest of the team, particularly the forward line. There's only ever Jota who steps up and we can't rely on him for reasons we well know. We're already brilliant for the most part, add a bit more depth and a 20 goals a season striker who stays fit, and we'd be laughing.
He can be a threat though. Diaz has purple patches, as does Gapko, none of them are particularly clinical or reliable in front of goal, compared to other players. If we didn't have Salah we'd really struggle for goals and you can see when he isn't firing, just how much of an impact that then has on the rest of the team, particularly the forward line. There's only ever Jota who steps up and we can't rely on him for reasons we well know. We're already brilliant for the most part, add a bit more depth and a 20 goals a season striker who stays fit, and we'd be laughing.
