Darwin Nunez - Thoughts?

[Arniepie]

33 minutes ago, SasaS said:

We were drawing last night's game when Nunez was taken off and later scored 3 goals.

we took 3 players off

[Barrington Womble]

25 minutes ago, TD_LFC said:

Do you think city will maintain the form of the first half of the season?

 

Do you think we are still susceptible to results like Luton and Utd?

 

That is what will define the season, not just what's happened but what you expect to happen next.

I think City will have a better 2nd half to the season than 1st. I think we will too, we are a work in progress. I think City's squad is a little thinner than it's been in the past and I think that leaves them susceptible to some of the results we have seen so far, i don't expect to seem them hit 90 points from here. 

 

there's always a man united game or a luton for everyone. this isn't a year where you need 99 points to win the league. We will drop points and when we do, I would much rather draw than lose. 

 

we have far more to worry about with how thin the squad is starting to look than we do with if nunez should score more. while it has slowed our ability to gel, our ability to make 5 subs per game and keep and mostly improve our level has been key for me in why we are top of the league (man united is an example of one of the few times the subs made us worse). the points we have picked up from losing positions is testament to our success later in games. Cup rotation has also helped. Things will be tougher, the cups have a bit more on them at this point, so it won't be as easy to rotate, so that ability to change in game will be vital. Over the next month especially, but potentially much more than that, our bench may not be looking quite as well stocked as it has been. We also have to have an eye on what AFCON did to salah's for last time around. 

 

but the sad thing is, if we lose the title by a point, you will be on here blaming nunez for it. it's not really about the fact you don't fancy him as a footballer i have an issue with, it is your desperation to be proved right. as an example, i am not Joe Gomez's biggest fan and think he is one of the poorest centre backs we have ever had in the air, but I am absolutely loving what he is contributing now and the half season he played in our title winning team, his lack of heading ability didn't harm us too much. football is a team game - they all contribute, some more than others, some more indirectly than others. right now between them all we are better than anyone else and we are improving. Nunez is a massive part of that. 

 

[3 Stacks]

51 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Hahaha. Stick to NHL on the Megadrive 

Great answer. Thankfully for you, I'm not like you and won't hound you around the forum expecting actual answers for the nonsense you spout.

[TD_LFC]

20 minutes ago, Code said:

They cant hold on to at least a point in tight games. 

 

And yet there's only three points in it with Villa and 5 with city with a game in hand despite them losing more than us.

 

Almost as if draws aren't enough to pull us far enough away even when teams are losing and we need to convert some draws into wins.

[Em City]

Watched it a lad who doesn't follow English football that much (big Galatasaray fan), he said "when he is through on goal, you don't get the feeling or excitement he will score".

 

He was doing my nut in because I was so desperate for us to win, but in hindsight, the two chances he had back to back was more to do with really good goalkeeping and the header was hard to put away when you look back on it. The one in the first half though, he has to be putting those away. That's where the criticism is warranted.

[SasaS]

4 minutes ago, Arniepie said:

we took 3 players off

 

The comment was in the context, we won.

 

And however you look at it, the eye test suggests he doesn't come across as either good or a confident finisher at the moment, which is frustrating with the amount of chances he is involved in (in itself a positive). Last ten PL games, one goal three assists when it comes to main stats, he played more than 60 minutes in eight of those games.  None in our biggest games (he got only 20 plus minuters against Arsenal though). Most of his good stats are from the first quarter of the season.

 

 

 

 

[Bjornebye]

21 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Great answer. Thankfully for you, I'm not like you and won't hound you around the forum expecting actual answers for the nonsense you spout.

Nah you’ll be too busy stalking your gym instructor you little bacon 

[Reckoner]

26 minutes ago, Em City said:

Watched it a lad who doesn't follow English football that much (big Galatasaray fan), he said "when he is through on goal, you don't get the feeling or excitement he will score".

 

He was doing my nut in because I was so desperate for us to win, but in hindsight, the two chances he had back to back was more to do with really good goalkeeping and the header was hard to put away when you look back on it. The one in the first half though, he has to be putting those away. That's where the criticism is warranted.

It’s true. I like him but it’s true. I didn’t expect anything when he went through 1 on 1 last night. 
I was at the game and thought he was shite (although on the highlights I saw he was actually alright). Too frustrating.

[3 Stacks]

17 minutes ago, Bjornebye said:

Nah you’ll be too busy stalking your gym instructor you little bacon 

Maybe you'll get the facts of that story right one day. Keep harassing people on here, though.

[TD_LFC]

If the Jota chance against Spurs in the 4-3 comes along with a title, a cup, hell even three point on the table, how many players do you get through before Nunez is your choice to be on the end of it?

 

If Newcastle away wasn't the aberration it seems to be then he'd be pushing third or fourth but not sure he makes top 5 and there's players with less goals but more composure I'd put ahead of him.

[SasaS]

Jota is great when he still has something to do, he missed some shocking tap-ins over the last few seasons. A compilation of our most incredible recent misses would feature him quite prominently.  

[Lee909]

7 hours ago, Em City said:

Watched it a lad who doesn't follow English football that much (big Galatasaray fan), he said "when he is through on goal, you don't get the feeling or excitement he will score".

 

He was doing my nut in because I was so desperate for us to win, but in hindsight, the two chances he had back to back was more to do with really good goalkeeping and the header was hard to put away when you look back on it. The one in the first half though, he has to be putting those away. That's where the criticism is warranted.

 

We need stop really good goalkeeping it wasn't at all. The second chance of the cut back he knees the ball, and right at the keeper. The header he should be hitting the target and he had more than enough time on the one on one. 

Even the 1st penalty, he should be getting a touch and scoring but got the ball caught under his feet. This can happen from time to time but it's too often with him and he needs to be putting them away. 

 

The volley,offside goal he did well. Unlucky with the offside, mm in it. The volley was a great run and tight angle, he gets a powerful shot on target. Both good forward play. Brilliant on the goal, he'd his width played a great ball he's contributing and a better player than last season. But if he wants to be the long term main guy when Mo goes these chances need converting. It was fine Bobby being a false 9, it worked in that system with the fullbacks playing high, Mo/Mane playing inside and getting 40 goals+ between them. We don't play that way now. 

 

This idea people not singing his praises, or saying they dint like him are wanting him to fail is fucking bollocks. His conversion rate is terrible, one of the worst in the league, not that of a striker the club would spend the money they did on him. He isn't a young kid either. He's at the same age many great strikers have started making that step up. 

 

 

He's earning his place in the team, but the team is still relying on Mo to bail them out with goals. 

 

 

LFD has a point on the draws. We know City generally start a run around Xmas, and look more vulnerable that we seen them in a long time. But if we lose out on the title by under 5pts we will look back on points dropped. And players missing big chances in big moments. Or we lose a tight cup game, we'll look at moments and he is involved in many of the misses. Mo misses chances but Mo has been here a long time and has won us many games,points and cups while putting up amazing total every year. Even now with his game changing and not being able to do what he used to be can pull out a few moments each game to win us points but the older he gets the more he needs the others to step up. 

 

On a point for him. The midfield and Trent needs to start picking up on his runs earlier. There is only so much you can do to bend your run and keep onside. Plenty of chances to play him in are ignored

[Chris]

For me, it's not just the absolute sitters he's spaffing, like the one-on-one last night which not a single person thought he'd score. Or the free header he put wide at 1-1. And even the other one-on-one he completely fucked up and for Diaz to bail him out only to find he couldn't fucking stay onside again.

 

It's the fact he hardly ever buries the sniffs of chances he gets. There were about six of those last night. Top strikers make their living with those, you'd think of the whole lot he'd be able to find the net with one of them, right? All the tough chances can't go in, but one of them surely isn't too much to ask?

 

One goal for every ten shots (0.09 goals per shot, Dave's mate Maupay is 0.08), averaging 4.67 shots a game. More shots anyone else in the league. it's fucking pitiful. 

 

It's hard not to be over-the-top frustrated with him.

 

 

[razor]

7 minutes ago, Chris said:

One goal for every ten shots (0.09 goals per shot, Dave's mate Maupay is 0.08), averaging 4.67 shots a game. More shots anyone else in the league. it's fucking pitiful. 

 

Nunez!  Nunez!  Nunez!  Nunez....!

[3 Stacks]

1 hour ago, Lee909 said:

 

We need stop really good goalkeeping it wasn't at all. The second chance of the cut back he knees the ball, and right at the keeper. The header he should be hitting the target and he had more than enough time on the one on one. 

Even the 1st penalty, he should be getting a touch and scoring but got the ball caught under his feet. This can happen from time to time but it's too often with him and he needs to be putting them away. 

 

The volley,offside goal he did well. Unlucky with the offside, mm in it. The volley was a great run and tight angle, he gets a powerful shot on target. Both good forward play. Brilliant on the goal, he'd his width played a great ball he's contributing and a better player than last season. But if he wants to be the long term main guy when Mo goes these chances need converting. It was fine Bobby being a false 9, it worked in that system with the fullbacks playing high, Mo/Mane playing inside and getting 40 goals+ between them. We don't play that way now. 

 

This idea people not singing his praises, or saying they dint like him are wanting him to fail is fucking bollocks. His conversion rate is terrible, one of the worst in the league, not that of a striker the club would spend the money they did on him. He isn't a young kid either. He's at the same age many great strikers have started making that step up. 

 

 

He's earning his place in the team, but the team is still relying on Mo to bail them out with goals. 

 

 

LFD has a point on the draws. We know City generally start a run around Xmas, and look more vulnerable that we seen them in a long time. But if we lose out on the title by under 5pts we will look back on points dropped. And players missing big chances in big moments. Or we lose a tight cup game, we'll look at moments and he is involved in many of the misses. Mo misses chances but Mo has been here a long time and has won us many games,points and cups while putting up amazing total every year. Even now with his game changing and not being able to do what he used to be can pull out a few moments each game to win us points but the older he gets the more he needs the others to step up. 

 

On a point for him. The midfield and Trent needs to start picking up on his runs earlier. There is only so much you can do to bend your run and keep onside. Plenty of chances to play him in are ignored

That is the crazy part. Strikers missing chances is one of the most visible things in football and he is genuinely inexplicably terrible in front of goal. Like, are we all supposed to be ignoring this?

 

And then people say well dont you realize how dangerous he is? Yes, lads, it is quite apparent how dangerous he is, thats why he was signed and why he has value. The best goalscorers are the ones who get in good areas and shoot the most from good positions. But guess what; when you are just about the worst finisher in the world, it cant help but diminish those traits. 

[Planet Origi]

Too many of our fans riding on rat boys bandwagon and can't judge for themselves 

[LFC 6 Times]

As people have alluded to you just don’t even get a hint of excitement when he’s in on goal. The finishing has actually got worse this season id argue. I don’t know what we do about it because it could prove massively costly.

[VladimirIlyich]

On 01/01/2024 at 23:54, 3 Stacks said:

It is totally fine to point this out when we dominate an opponent like we did, but if he doesnt pick up the goalscoring mantle when Salah goes, this sort of stuff will be pointless. 

Blah,blah,blah.

[Arniepie]

10 hours ago, Chris said:

For me, it's not just the absolute sitters he's spaffing, like the one-on-one last night which not a single person thought he'd score. Or the free header he put wide at 1-1. And even the other one-on-one he completely fucked up and for Diaz to bail him out only to find he couldn't fucking stay onside again.

 

It's the fact he hardly ever buries the sniffs of chances he gets. There were about six of those last night. Top strikers make their living with those, you'd think of the whole lot he'd be able to find the net with one of them, right? All the tough chances can't go in, but one of them surely isn't too much to ask?

 

One goal for every ten shots (0.09 goals per shot, Dave's mate Maupay is 0.08), averaging 4.67 shots a game. More shots anyone else in the league. it's fucking pitiful. 

 

It's hard not to be over-the-top frustrated with him.

 

 

the header wasnt an easy chance,he was off balence.

the keeper pulled off 2 great saves to deny him.

the 1 on one he shouold have buried.

[Chris]

1 hour ago, Arniepie said:

the header wasnt an easy chance,he was off balence.

the keeper pulled off 2 great saves to deny him.

the 1 on one he shouold have buried.

 

Why is he off balance? There's always excuses. Top strikers don't need them. 

[El Rojo]

It’s a big few weeks for him now. We’ll likely drop points if he’s as wasteful as he’s been in what will probably be tight games, though Jota being back should help with Salah’s absence.

 

[Arniepie]

57 minutes ago, Chris said:

 

Why is he off balance? There's always excuses. Top strikers don't need them. 

that header wasnt an easy chance

[DJLJ]

43 minutes ago, Arniepie said:

that header wasnt an easy chance

It should be easy enough to at least get on target. Noone is impeding him, he has to do better on the header also. I’m with Chris on this one. 

[Mook]

The issues with Nunez the other night were all in the first half, especially the one on one. I was pissed off with him at half time.

 

He played really well in the second half and was very unlucky to come off without a goal IMO.

[Rushies tash]

3 minutes ago, Mook said:

The issues with Nunez the other night were all in the first half, especially the one on one. I was pissed off with him at half time.

 

He played really well in the second half and was very unlucky to come off without a goal IMO.

 

He should have scored, but I still maintain that Dubravka did very well there.