Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has suggested that he would prefer to pla against Cody Gakpo rather than Darwin Núñez, while Gary Neville has suggested the same.
By means of Josh Williams, football scout write OnSunday afternoon, Darwin Núñez played a full Premier League match for the first time since February.
It is no coincidence that his 90-minute performance coincided with the absences of Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota, with the former injured and the latter suspended.Over the last six months, Jürgen Klopp has rotated his options on Merseyside, with all three of his forwards offering different qualities on the pitch. Gakpo, for example, is perhaps more in the mold of Roberto Firmino, in that he tends to play in midfield and seems more natural going deeper into the game. Núñez is an all-round presence who can take over an entire defense line by himself, and Jota is almost in the mold of an expert presser who floats under the radar but always tends to arrive at the right moment to make a tap-in to score . indoors from six meters away. Klopp can afford the luxury in attacking areas, especially considering that Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz are not included in the equation.However, despite the options available within Liverpool’s squad, there is a growing consensus among fans and pundits that Núñez should be involved more often. The South American striker is a real threat when he is on the pitch and people are starting to appreciate what he has to offer, even if he is still not as clinical as Klopp would like.Manchester United legend Gary Neville, who was a defender when he played, recently described him as a “handful” on his Sky Sports podcast, and also said he would choose to tackle him last if given the chance to face him. . him, Jota or Gakpo as an opponent. The Red Devils icon was backed by a former Liverpool midfielder this week, with Danny Murphy repeating similar points during his speech on talkSPORT.“I really like what I see [when I look at Núñez],” he began. “I have been asking him for some time to play really good games, because any young striker who wants to build his confidence and reputation at a football club needs good games.”“He will score goals. He will [miss chances too], but if he plays all the time, will he give you 20 goals? I think he would. I think he will. He looks capable, he’s fast, good in the air, huge.Sign up to our EXCLUSIVE Liverpool.com newsletter!If you enjoyed this article, you’ll love our Liverpool.com newsletter: every weekday we send exclusive bonus content only to those signed up to our mailing list!Our newsletter subscribers receive insights from one of Liverpool FC’s best writers every Monday to Friday – straight to your inbox and completely free.No matter where you are in the world – US, UK or elsewhere – you don’t want to miss it. “Look, Liverpool have good options in the attacking areas. If you are playing against the top teams, I would play him in the middle with Díaz and Salah on the right and left.”Not Gakpo, and I like Gakpo, but I always see it like this: if you are a central defender of Man City, Man U, Tottenham, Arsenal and you see the list of Liverpool teams where Gakpo or Núñez play , Núñez [does more for you].”Murphy is right about the 24-year-old poacher’s powers. The player-turned-pundit, who won the UEFA Cup among several other trophies during his time at Anfield, highlighted Núñez’s tendency to create chances as an often overlooked skill.In football, players are judged on their ability to take advantage of their chance, rather than their ability to get that chance in the first place. In his first season in England, for example, the Uruguay international experienced several ups and downs, sometimes occupying unfamiliar roles that did not suit his abilities, but he still averaged more shots per 90 minutes than any other Premier League player, including Erling Haaland.This is still the case in this mandate. Núñez is averaging 4.9 appearances per 90 in England’s top flight this season, placing him fourth in Europe’s big five leagues, behind only Victor Boniface, Kylian Mbappé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, based on players having accumulated at least 300 minutes on the ground. .Former Everton and Barcelona star Gary Lineker also recently offered his support to the Reds striker. “I see a striker,” he said on “The Rest is Football” podcast. “He’s fast and has lots of chances. For me the most important thing between scorers and those who are more natural are those who have lots of chances. There’s definitely a great scorer in there.”Alan Shearer, who still holds the Premier League record for most goals scored with 260 for Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers, said the same thing in the same podcast. “Last season, even though he wasted so many chances, it didn’t seem to bother him. There’s an arrogance about him in a good way. The more you are there, the more you will score.”It seems like every player who has been there and done that recognizes what Núñez has in his locker. Klopp is committed to harnessing his best qualities on the pitch and, if he finally manages to hone his diamond in the rough, it is fair to suggest that he will start for the Reds every week.Right now Núñez is essentially experiencing the calm before the inevitable storm.
