Liverpool’s 3-3 draw against Aston Villa on Monday night summed up their season.
On one hand, it showcased their attacking brilliance and why they are sitting third in the Premier League table.
But on the other, it proved why Liverpool are not in the Premier League title race because they were defensively all over the place.
Jurgen Klopp can’t do much about it now, other than hope his players can get the wins because he will be out of the door by Sunday.
But the man who is expected to replace him – Arne Slot – will be watching on from afar and wondering what changes he will make when he arrives.
One man who has been a marmite-like figure on Merseyside has been Darwin Nunez – he came on as a late sub against Villa and proceeded to score an offside goal.
Ale Moreno stated that he has a ‘soft spot’ for the all-action Liverpool superstar, but he needs to get his act together quickly, as he told ESPN.
From Nunez’s 53 matches in all competitions this term, he has 18 goals and 13 assists, including 11 goals and eight assists in the Premier League.
Moreno feels that some might now be ‘losing patience’ with the 24-year-old and it’s critical things start well for him under Slot next season.
Under Klopp, Nunez can have as many iffy moments as he likes. Number one, the German was the one who signed him, and secondly, he has always been loyal to his players.
If the Uruguay star doesn’t fix up on his play in the final third ahead of next season, then Slo might not be as kind.
Darwin Nunez under Arne Slot
“I have a soft spot for Darwin Nunez,” said Moreno. “I have a soft spot for him because he does bring a certain intensity to the position. He does make runs that sometimes go unrewarded. He will sacrifice for the team. He will go and press backlines and make it difficult for centre-backs.
“But the productivity has to go hand-in-hand with all those things that I just mentioned. It’s not just the misses for Darwin Nunez, it’s that the misses seem to have come in big moments. When you think about elite-level strikers, in those sorts of moments, they are putting the ball into the back of the net, more times than not and he is yet to do that consistently.
“I would hope for patience with Darwin Nunez, but I think we are getting to the point where we might be running out of patience. It’s going to be critical. Really important that his start with Arne Slot is a positive one and that he feels the confidence of the manager right away thinking ‘you are going to be important for me, we are going to need your goals and you are going to score the goals for me’. If you give that to Darwin Nunez, I think he’s going to be productive for you.”
Now or never for Darwin Nunez at Liverpool
You feel this is it for Nunez. Many have backed him, supported and defended him.
But there have been others who have verbally battered him left, right and centre for his inability to be reliable in the final third.
READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp praises Liverpool talent, Arne Slot is surely excited
You feel that, under a new manager, he has to get his act together pretty quickly, or else, it will be much easier for that man to get rid of him simply because he didn’t sign him.
But, one thing is for sure, if Nunez can find that switch, and if he can keep it on, then he will be utterly lethal because of his all-round qualities.
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