Darwin Nunez - Thoughts?

[etho]

Absolutely agree what we’re doing tactically isn’t helping him or any of our forwards at the moment

 

The only person our tactical set up seems to be absolutely benefitting is enabling Trent to live out his childhood dream of being Stevie G

[Bjornebye]

1 hour ago, etho said:

Absolutely agree what we’re doing tactically isn’t helping him or any of our forwards at the moment

 

The only person our tactical set up seems to be absolutely benefitting is enabling Trent to live out his childhood dream of being Stevie G

 

Gerrard fed Torres. He'd do the same with Darwin. Not saying Nunez is as good as Torres, fuck me who was but he isn't getting the 9 service that people are judging him on. 

[Lee909]

He's had plenty of chances. Not yesterday but let's not pretend it's a lack of service

 

His expected XG is 9 goals this year, he has 4.

 

Below graph In the league this year

 

In red shots he's failed to hit hit the targets

 

Purple blocked shots

 

Blue shots saved

 

Yellow he's hit the post

 

 

[3 Stacks]

2 hours ago, Bjornebye said:

 

That makes no sense. Do you agree or disagree 

 

I'm marveling at the wonderful absurdity of the argument that pretending the striker who you thought was going to score a bunch of goals at Liverpool was actually never going to score a bunch of goals because you have just now come up with the idea that Klopp might somehow be against the idea that strikers should score a bunch of goals. It's brilliant stuff by you. 

[an tha]

I am starting to think that with Diaz looking pretty mediocre that maybe Nunez will be best for us for now on the left...

I think he could be effective on the left - his crossing/ability to get ball into box from there is good....His pace and strength and ability to run defenders/stretch play can work well there and help us become more threatening. He may well find more space and create more space for others as a result...

[Lee909]

6 minutes ago, an tha said:

I am starting to think that with Diaz looking pretty mediocre that maybe Nunez will be best for us for now on the left...

I think he could be effective on the left - his crossing/ability to get ball into box from there is good....His pace and strength and ability to run defenders/stretch play can work well there and help us become more threatening. He may well find more space and create more space for others as a result...

 

I said before the game at the weekend I'd move him left and drop Diaz out. I'd also play Szoboszlai on the right with Mo in the middle. 

[an tha]

6 minutes ago, Lee909 said:

 

I said before the game at the weekend I'd move him left and drop Diaz out. I'd also play Szoboszlai on the right with Mo in the middle. 

I wouldn't be massively against that.

 

Problem is we can't really move Szobo at moment - he is one of very few fit midfielders.

 

Gakpo can do a job in middle IMO - probably best at linking play/making space ala way Firmino did...or maybe even Jota if can get him back - different type of course but arguably best finisher got.

[Bjornebye]

54 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

 

I'm marveling at the wonderful absurdity of the argument that pretending the striker who you thought was going to score a bunch of goals at Liverpool was actually never going to score a bunch of goals because you have just now come up with the idea that Klopp might somehow be against the idea that strikers should score a bunch of goals. It's brilliant stuff by you. 

 

Listen Emilio Estevez, I couldn't give a flying fuck what you think. But yes, I am brilliant. Appreciated. 

[Supremolad]

6 hours ago, etho said:

Absolutely agree what we’re doing tactically isn’t helping him or any of our forwards at the moment

 

The only person our tactical set up seems to be absolutely benefitting is enabling Trent to live out his childhood dream of being Stevie G

What we are doing tactically now is basically what we've been doing tactically for 8 months or so this year. And up to a few weeks ago, there were lots of praise for our front five for the goals and assists they were providing consistently. In fact, we were on track for 100 goal contributions from all of them as mentioned a few times on a couple TLW podcast episodes.

 

What has happened over the past few weeks isn't about the system blunting them. This same system enabled them score loads and make assists. Problems have arisen through Jota's injury (he is our best converter of chances), Nunez's confidence being shattered since that open goal miss at Luton, Salah going off the boil a bit and Diaz being meh.

[Strontium]

Much of the criticism has merit, but it must be said that hitting the woodwork five times is rotten luck.

[VladimirIlyich]

8 hours ago, Lee909 said:

 

I said before the game at the weekend I'd move him left and drop Diaz out. I'd also play Szoboszlai on the right with Mo in the middle. 

And this is why we have one of the best managers in world football keeping us in with a chance of winning trophies rather than listening to internet conjecture.

[sh#t waffle]

Think there's a strong argument for playing Nunez on the left while Jota is out and Diaz is in such terrible form. Would play Gakpo through the middle though, rather than shifting Dom and Mo too.

[TD_LFC]

People forget that prior to be shifting to LW, RW, Midfield and the bench to accommodate Nunez, Gakpo stepped in from January onwards and did a very good job in the false 9.

 

No reason he can't go back to that instead of being the odd job man and getting criticised for the odd appearance in multiple positions.

[El Rojo]

43 minutes ago, TD_LFC said:

People forget that prior to be shifting to LW, RW, Midfield and the bench to accommodate Nunez, Gakpo stepped in from January onwards and did a very good job in the false 9.

 

No reason he can't go back to that instead of being the odd job man and getting criticised for the odd appearance in multiple positions.

 

Once Gakpo settled in, he was excellent until the end of the season. Obviously he's not as quick or powerful, but he's a vastly more intelligent footballer than Nunez, and the timing of his runs is great with all those tap-ins he's scored. 

[TD_LFC]

30 minutes ago, El Rojo said:

 

Once Gakpo settled in, he was excellent until the end of the season. Obviously he's not as quick or powerful, but he's a vastly more intelligent footballer than Nunez, and the timing of his runs is great with all those tap-ins he's scored. 

 

The benefit of playing slightly deeper with a more intelligent footballer who can time his runs and benefit from using the likes of Salah and Diaz's movement to move the defence around and create space.

 

It'll never catch on.

[Code]

1 hour ago, sh#t waffle said:

Think there's a strong argument for playing Nunez on the left while Jota is out and Diaz is in such terrible form. Would play Gakpo through the middle though, rather than shifting Dom and Mo too.

I have been saying this for weeks now. 

[TD_LFC]

If we keep shifting him around how does he become better at what he's supposed to be doing, we tried it last season and it hasn't helped.

[LFC 6 Times]

Give Gakpo a run in CF and try Darwin from the left. Attack not functioning at all at the moment, a change needed.

[sh#t waffle]

 

16 minutes ago, TD_LFC said:

If we keep shifting him around how does he become better at what he's supposed to be doing, we tried it last season and it hasn't helped.

As badly as he's playing, Diaz is playing worse. So I think Nunez on the left, Gakpo in the middle and Mo on the riight gives us the best chance of getting our form back quickly and winning football matches. This is isn't about desperately trying to accommodate him somewhere, it's about us being as good as we can be.

 

If Diaz recovers his form then we can look at it again. But as (I think) you said earlier, I do think people are forgetting how good Gakpo was for a fair bit of last season when he was playing regularly as the false 9.

[TD_LFC]

Our play goes almost exclusively down the right so Diaz is often isolated (or has one option in Tsimikas) don't think he's in any worse form than Nunez so ideally we'd have neither in the side at the moment.

 

Not sure why Nunez is anymore deserving of being played back into form than Diaz, alternate them by all means but it just kicks the can further down the road and we'll start next season the same way we did this, wondering what the fuck we're gonna do with Nunez.

 

 

[TD_LFC]

The broad parallels with last season continue 

 

Last season - Started up front - poor performances see him shifted to the left - Ends up on bench as last option.

 

This Season - Started up front - poor performances see him shifted to the left - It's in his hands what happens next.

[No2]

When Diaz came on he went CF and Darwin stayed out left. That was a bit weird.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Whether by design or circumstance, when he found himself out left tonight I thought he looked better. Far easier to stay inside with the whole line to look across and bending runs.

[Supremolad]

Nunez did perform better from the left tonight and it was a smart assist from him for Jones. Having him from the left might be a good way to play him back into form. 

 

I think it would also be a great tactic to use him there vs Arsenal who also tend to have Ben White leaving space which Nunez could exploit. 

[Bjornebye]

Thought he was good tonight. He's desperate to score which might hinder him but fuck me he doesn't stop.