Horrible Miss! Darwin Nunez Conjured up Memories of Ronnie Rosenthal at Anfield on Thursday
- 6 months ago
Darwin Nunez would rather be a Premier League starter than play for Jurgen Klopp's Europa League side but he showed enough willingness to prove he's no £ 85 million prima donna and deserved his goal courtesy of an emphatic finish.
The fact he then went on a mesmerizing solo run only to muck up the finish Ronny Rosenthal-style underlined the hit-and-miss nature of his Anfield career so far.
With Liverpool 3-1 up he accelerated through the Toulouse defence, rounded Guillaume Restes, and then in front of an open goal in front of The Kop, hit the post from six yards as he lapsed in concentration already thinking of his celebration.
Ryan Gravenberch snaffled the rebound and at least Nunez was able to smile as he was substituted straight after, a pre-planned change it should be pointed out.
The horrible miss will be replayed a lot but it shouldn't detract from a fantastic all-round performance that has made him a huge crowd favorite on Merseyside even though he's had his struggles.
Nunez was Liverpool's marquee signing when arriving from Benfica in 2022, a man expected to share top billing with Mo Salah in Klopp's rebuild.
Adored by The Kop and boasting a decent goals-to-games ratio, Nunez has nonetheless struggled to become the first name on the teamsheet, starting fewer than the club's league matches.
Hence his appearance against Toulouse on Thursday night having been restricted to half an hour as a substitute in Saturday's Merseyside derby.
It's not ideal for someone of the 24-year-old's stature whose pace and work rate are yet to be matched by a full understanding of what the Reds manager wants from him.
Yet there is no sign of the Uruguayan taking his foot off the gas, something that must be appreciated by the dressing room.
In the early stages against Toulouse's mass ranks of defenders, he was always on the move, looking for that yard of space to make a difference.
One run to the right-hand edge of the penalty area was spotted by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Nunez did everything correctly by surging to the byline before a lack of quality in the cross – summing up the frustrating nature of his game.
The striker is a fiery character and always a magnet to incidents, a bit like his countryman Luis Suarez had been at Anfield.
In the second half, Nunez was the innocent party as the outstretched left hand of Cristian Casseres caught him in the face as they tangled for the ball.
The Liverpool player was right to look aggrieved as he fell in some pain but did well to keep his temper in check and let the officials deal with it. Tracking back, he showed energy to retrieve the ball before being flattened by Dallinga.
He got up gingerly to huge appreciation from the home crowd chanting 'Noo-nez, Noo-nez'.
After 56 minutes, he reacted well and nearly scored with a rebound after Ryan Gravenberch's shot had been saved and spun up in the air.
Nunez was replaced midway through the second half. Klopp had already planned to withdraw him in case he's
The fact he then went on a mesmerizing solo run only to muck up the finish Ronny Rosenthal-style underlined the hit-and-miss nature of his Anfield career so far.
With Liverpool 3-1 up he accelerated through the Toulouse defence, rounded Guillaume Restes, and then in front of an open goal in front of The Kop, hit the post from six yards as he lapsed in concentration already thinking of his celebration.
Ryan Gravenberch snaffled the rebound and at least Nunez was able to smile as he was substituted straight after, a pre-planned change it should be pointed out.
The horrible miss will be replayed a lot but it shouldn't detract from a fantastic all-round performance that has made him a huge crowd favorite on Merseyside even though he's had his struggles.
Nunez was Liverpool's marquee signing when arriving from Benfica in 2022, a man expected to share top billing with Mo Salah in Klopp's rebuild.
Adored by The Kop and boasting a decent goals-to-games ratio, Nunez has nonetheless struggled to become the first name on the teamsheet, starting fewer than the club's league matches.
Hence his appearance against Toulouse on Thursday night having been restricted to half an hour as a substitute in Saturday's Merseyside derby.
It's not ideal for someone of the 24-year-old's stature whose pace and work rate are yet to be matched by a full understanding of what the Reds manager wants from him.
Yet there is no sign of the Uruguayan taking his foot off the gas, something that must be appreciated by the dressing room.
In the early stages against Toulouse's mass ranks of defenders, he was always on the move, looking for that yard of space to make a difference.
One run to the right-hand edge of the penalty area was spotted by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Nunez did everything correctly by surging to the byline before a lack of quality in the cross – summing up the frustrating nature of his game.
The striker is a fiery character and always a magnet to incidents, a bit like his countryman Luis Suarez had been at Anfield.
In the second half, Nunez was the innocent party as the outstretched left hand of Cristian Casseres caught him in the face as they tangled for the ball.
The Liverpool player was right to look aggrieved as he fell in some pain but did well to keep his temper in check and let the officials deal with it. Tracking back, he showed energy to retrieve the ball before being flattened by Dallinga.
He got up gingerly to huge appreciation from the home crowd chanting 'Noo-nez, Noo-nez'.
After 56 minutes, he reacted well and nearly scored with a rebound after Ryan Gravenberch's shot had been saved and spun up in the air.
Nunez was replaced midway through the second half. Klopp had already planned to withdraw him in case he's