Liverpool fans are still reeling this morning after watching their team crumble against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Having already been demolished in midweek by Atalanta, it was the worst possible reaction from Jurgen Klopp and his players.
With their season now hanging by a thread, Liverpool must go to Italy and win three or more goals on Thursday. Fail to do that and not only will they be out of the Europa League, but it will feel as though their Premier League title chances are no more, too.
There are obviously many reasons for the Reds’ untimely slump in form. Certain players have simply gone into hiding, with Klopp showing his frustration at the likes of Joe Gomez against Atalanta.
But perhaps the biggest issue right now is Liverpool’s failure to convert the chances they create. Darwin Nunez has been highlighted as a big part of this problem and after watching Nunez fail to fire again on Sunday, former Reds manager Rafa Benitez has given his thoughts.
What has Rafa Benitez said about Liverpool
As one of the brightest coaching minds of his generation, Benitez’s thoughts are always worth listening to.
The Spaniard may once again be out of work following a poor spell with Celta Vigo in La Liga. But he is still one of the most revered Liverpool managers of recent history and will always find a platform when talking on the Reds.
This week, Sky Sports have given Rafa the chance to speak on the current title race and what he’s seen from his old side.
And, as he often is, you’d have to say that the 64-year-old is spot-on when it comes to assessing what went wrong for Liverpool against Palace.
“Obviously I was watching the games and Manchester City are playing with a lot of confidence,” he said, when asked how he views the title race.
“You could see that Liverpool had bad luck in the finishing because they have some chances but it was complicated, then Crystal Palace were passing the ball well, they were a little bit of a threat on the counter-attack. That makes anxiety sometimes when you know you have to win the game. And exactly the same happened to Arsenal [vs Aston Villa].”
What’s going on with Darwin Nunez
Clearly, he isn’t the only one to blame for this – and Benitez doesn’t single him out either – but much of Liverpool’s poor finishing lies at the feet of Nunez.
It has been a good season for the Uruguayan it must be said. However, in recent games he has gone missing when the Reds needed him the most. As Michael Owen said after Sunday’s defeat, Darwin’s missed chances really can drive you mad.
Owen hasn’t been the only one to decry Nunez since Thursday’s thrashing against Atalanta. Ian Wright also can’t quite believe the chances he’s been missing.
It isn’t only the 24-year-old, others are failing to step up, too. But Nunez is, unfortunately, the face of Liverpool’s wastefulness. It needs to improve.
On a happier side-note, happy birthday, Rafa! Forever a Liverpool legend.