Such is the extent of scrutiny over Darwin Nunez‘s each look that it could be no shock if, within the occasion he grabs the winner in opposition to Man Metropolis on Sunday, he lifts his shirt to disclose his personal ‘Why all the time me?’ message.
Solely, on the proof on Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at Villa Park and the heavy criticism he confronted for his enter, there could be no assure he’d even rating it.
There is no such thing as a assure he’ll even make it onto the pitch, both.
Nunez’s left-footed effort, blazed over the bar with the purpose gaping halfway by the second half, was statistically the sixth-worst miss on this Premier League marketing campaign to date.
It was price 0.75 xG, with Marcus Tavernier (0.94), Nicolas Jackson (0.90), Cole Palmer (0.89), Emerson (0.76) and Dominic Solanke (0.76) the one gamers to squander larger possibilities in entrance of purpose.
In equity to Nunez, it was a tougher probability than has been made out: he was extensive of the purpose, beneath stress from centre-back Axel Disasi, on the stretch whereas operating at full pelt and capturing together with his weaker foot.
There’s definitely an argument to be revamped whether or not Dominik Szoboszlai even wanted to make the cross to him, having discovered himself in a one-on-one with Emi Martinez with the choice to fit it or dink it over the goalkeeper.
However this recent storm Nunez has confronted comes with a ferocity borne of numerous different missed possibilities reminiscent of this, and the esteem of a £85 million price ticket.
A club-record signing taking part in up entrance for the perfect facet in England must be nearing the top of February with significantly greater than six targets in 35 video games and have began significantly greater than 12 occasions within the Premier League and Champions League.
As an alternative Nunez finds himself on the periphery and, when known as upon, invariably disappoints.
Whereas his league-high fee of 0.99 huge possibilities missed per 90 minutes since becoming a member of Liverpool in 2022/23 is just like that of Erling Haaland (0.95, per Sky Sports activities), in contrast to his Man Metropolis counterpart he doesn’t have the freakish purpose fee to counterbalance that.
Nunez suffered with comparisons to Haaland as each arrived within the Premier League on the identical time throughout a revival of the traditional centre-forward, however he’s now over midway by his third season on the membership and has barely progressed.
Even past these evident misses – of which Wednesday’s was removed from his worst, as Luton followers will fondly recall – there stay the identical flaws that defied Jurgen Klopp after he instigated his signing from Benfica.
The Uruguayan was all the time an odd alternative to interchange Roberto Firmino as the focus of Liverpool’s assault and the membership has suffered the consequences ever since.
Klopp repeatedly careworn the necessity for Nunez to align together with his calls for off the ball, whereas what has been described as a reluctance to be taught the English language shared all through the squad and workers has made tactical directions more durable to convey.
And whereas he has now earned a fame as a hard-runner, ever prepared to press, he nonetheless resembles a starkly totally different profile to Firmino earlier than him and now each Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.
On a couple of event Slot has referred to the variations between Nunez and Jota and Diaz, with the latter duo becoming the mould of a ‘nine-and-a-half’ in comparison with a conventional No. 9.
His choice for Diaz – a pure winger solely this season transformed into the central function – over Nunez has made it patently clear which profile of striker he plans to construct round at Liverpool in the long run.
Diaz, although removed from the perfect resolution, is extra snug dropping deep and occupying areas that can permit Liverpool’s common goalscorers to flourish.
His system could also be markedly totally different, however it’s no fluke that Slot’s wingers, in Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, are the first supply of targets simply as Salah and Sadio Mane have been when dovetailing with Firmino beneath Klopp.
Whereas it was prompt previous to his arrival at Anfield that Slot noticed Nunez as his new undertaking up entrance – having coaxed free-scoring type out of a equally troubled striker at Feyenoord in Santiago Gimenez – there may be now each indication that might be lower brief in the summertime.
“Gamers miss possibilities, that I can settle for, however what was more durable to just accept was his behaviour after that probability,” Slot advised reporters on Thursday morning, having had time to digest the outcome at Villa.
“It acquired an excessive amount of in his head the place he wasn’t the same old Darwin that works his arse off and makes positive he helps the crew.”
Slot added: “I’ll inform him you’ll be able to miss an opportunity, however you can’t miss out on work fee.
“That’s the lifetime of a striker – he is aware of, he’s 25, he could have missed and scored possibilities in his profession, so no downside in any respect.
“It’s a part of the job of a No. 9 that you simply typically miss when individuals anticipate you to attain, however it’s not a part of the job to decelerate the work fee and that’s one thing we are going to discuss.”
There’s very a lot a way that Nunez let his coach down together with his utility in opposition to Villa, however it’s notable that this was not the primary time he has seemed lower than .
Whether or not by design or not, this drop in work fee has coincided with the collapse of a proposed transfer to the Saudi Professional League late within the winter switch window, with studies indicating that Liverpool rejected a switch.
It was claimed that Al-Nassr made two bids, the second price upwards of £62.4 million, and have been in superior talks with the participant himself solely to be thwarted by Liverpool’s reluctance to promote at a time once they would battle to interchange him.
There have been two takeaways from that, nevertheless: firstly, Nunez was clearly prepared to barter his departure with the carrot of a rumoured £558,000-a-week little doubt interesting; and secondly, the membership would seemingly have countenanced a sale at a extra handy level.
That may absolutely come in the summertime, as like with Christian Benteke earlier than him a Liverpool supervisor’s makes an attempt to remould his facet round a traditional No. 9 have merely not labored out for Nunez.
A change within the dugout, from Brendan Rodgers to Klopp, helped facilitate Benteke’s swift exit and there could be little shock if the identical performed out on the finish of Slot’s first marketing campaign on Merseyside.
