Conor Coady has spoken highly about the quality Darwin Nunez brings to the table for Liverpool and why he is so loved by the fans.
This is the 24-year-old’s second season in the Premier League and he has shown signs of improvement, even though that raw nature to his game is still there.
When Conor Coady was at Everton last season, he had the task of dealing with Darwin Nunez in the Merseyside derby and he admitted that he was ‘really hard’ to come up against, as he told Premier League Productions (19/02/24 at 10:55 pm).
That game finished goalless, with the now Leicester City player having a goal chalked off for offside.
Nonetheless, during this campaign, Liverpool’s big-money capture has produced some memorable moments, including that quite stunning brace at St James’ Park.
As a result of it, he has 13 goals and 11 assists from 37 matches in all competitions, including nine goals in the Premier League.
When you compare that to the elite players in England’s top-flight, then Darwin Nunez still has a fair way to go.
But despite that, he is still very much liked by his fans and treated like a cult hero, Conor Coady was asked why that is, even though his numbers aren’t exactly the best of the best.
Liverpool fans and Darwin Nunez
“I think first and foremost for how hard he works,” said Coady. “Liverpool over the years, when Mo (Michael Owen) played for them, they have always thrived off a top striker, haven’t they?!
“You look at those numbers (for Nunez) it could be better. But with how hard he works for the team, how much he runs, and the chances creates for himself, you think about creating chances and he is always in the right place. He might not score as many as he can, but what he actually brings to the team, I think that’s why so many people resonate with him within Liverpool.
On playing against Nunez: “First and foremost, it’s really hard. He is a top player. He never stops, constantly on the move and he is constantly trying to get in behind you, if the ball goes long, he will always chase it down.
“He is constantly on the move, if you watch him, he is constantly trying to peel off on the back of you.”
Liverpool injuries
Just at the wrong time, when Liverpool were about to warm up and steam ahead during these crucial months, Klopp has been hit with a few injury blows.
From Alisson Becker to Diogo Jota. You can certainly rule the latter out of the League Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday.
Liverpool fans will get a flavour of where the team is actually at because they host Luton Town in the Premier League on Wednesday night and it will be interesting to see what type of team Klopp picks.
Given the injuries, will he rotate? Or will he decide just to go with the strongest possible XI and do the same on Sunday?
On one hand, Klopp would love to look at the long-term picture and rest some players, but he can’t afford to lose in the short term because, if that happens, then they will end up dropping valuable points in the Premier League title race, as well as lose the final to Chelsea.
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