One of the first items on Arne Slot’s in-tray should he get the Liverpool job will be to find a way to get Darwin Nunez firing.
That may be one of his toughest tasks but, with a potential price tag of up to £85m, it will be an important one. Nunez, 24, is a fans' favourite at Anfield but those who regularly chant his name and bristle at away supporters who sing about him being a certain version of Andy Carroll, must be losing some patience now.
Certainly after another collection of costly misses helped to leave Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes on the brink. Jordan Pickford was rightly hailed for his saves as Everton beat their bitter rivals 2-0. The Toffees keeper denied Nunez on more than one occasion.
They were solid stops but a striker of more composure would have been more ruthless. It’s not the only time it has happened. Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson and Manchester United’s Andre Onana have benefitted from Nunez’s lack of killer touch in recent weeks which have all helped in the loss of eight points.
Only Erling Haaland has missed - with 30 - more big chances than the 26 Nunez has squandered in the Premier League. The problem for the Uruguayan is that the Manchester City striker has 20 goals to his 11 in the domestic competition.
Nunez also failed to find the net when needed in Europe as the Reds crashed out of the Europa League when called upon as a sub as they chased a deficit against Atalanta and in their FA Cup exit to Manchester United. He has 18 in all competitions but many come in short periods of prolificness and have dried up considerably now at the business end of the season.
Nunez has failed to score against any of the current top six so far this season and his only league goals since early March have come against relegation battlers Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United.
Though the former was a sign that there is some magic in the chaos causer as he scored with almost the last touch in what, at the time, looked like could be a defining goal in the title race. He hasn’t been helped by Mo Salah’s dip in form either, which has sharpened focus on him.
But the misses are a growing concern. Jurgen Klopp pushed for the signing of Nunez from Benfica in the summer of 2022, even though the recruitment team at the club preferred Christopher Nkunku, who has been injury-plagued at Chelsea this season. But the German boss will leave Anfield never having really got the best out of his most expensive signing.
The misses against Everton sparked debate among Jamie Carragher, Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge post match in the Sky studio. Carragher lost the discussion in which his concerns that, after two years at the club, the composure and finishing may never come as it cannot simply be trained.
Former strikers Rooney and Sturridge disagreed but did admit the training demands of the modern game and the sports science protection on overworking may mean spending enough time practising can be difficult.
But if he is going to potentially lead the line for Slot then the Dutch boss will have to find a way to get the best out of him. There's no debate about that.
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