Jurgen Klopp has been urged to play Liverpool ace Darwin Nunez as a central striker ahead of facing Arsenal today.
The Reds are 13 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United and Champions League football appears to be beyond them.
A win today is absolutely vital for any lingering hopes but beating Arsenal won’t be easy.
Jurgen Klopp has now been urged to try some different things to try and plan for the future.
Ex-Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has spoken to the Daily Mail about that subject and highlighted the position of Darwin Nunez.
Murphy feels that there is no reason to delay playing Nunez as a striker when he will likely play that role moving forward.
Nunez has spent a lot of time this season playing on the left flank rather than through the middle.
Murphy believes that Nunez needs to know that he will be playing up front on a regular basis – even striking a comparison to Ollie Watkins.
The Aston Villa star is in red-hot form at the moment and Murphy thinks ‘the same will happen’ if Klopp goes with Nunez as a striker.
“Darwin Nunez has great strength, pace and carries an aerial threat. He’s a finisher, not a creator, so he’s wasted playing on the left. He’s going to be Liverpool’s main No 9 when Roberto Firmino leaves at the end of the season, so why delay? Let him have a proper feel of it now,” said Murphy. “Firmino was a different type of centre-forward during Liverpool’s glory days of winning the Premier League and Champions League, but he was automatic first choice and was able to build relationships with Mo Salah and Sadio Mane. Nunez needs to have that backing.”
“He’s only 23, in his first season in the Premier League, and only had two years in the Portuguese top flight before that. He’s going to be a super player but needs stability, while the rest of the team need to get used to him down the middle so they can get the best out of him. It’s hurting his development to be wide one week, centre-forward the next and on the bench after that.”
“Nunez should be the main man up front. Look at what’s happened to Ollie Watkins at Aston Villa since Danny Ings left. He knows he’s going to be playing up front every week rather than being rotated or used on the flanks. Watkins has responded with goals and the same will happen to Nunez because he is the type of centre-forward who defenders hate playing against,” he added.
Darwin Nunez change worth a go for Liverpool
We can understand playing Nunez as a left-sided winger for now.
The Uruguayan did play in that role for Benfica on occasion and his numbers were hugely impressive.
10 goals and two assists in just five appearances as a left winger for Benfica showed off Nunez’s ability in that area.
Nunez’s raw stats are also better as a left winger than as a striker at Liverpool.
Nunez has bagged seven goals and two assists in both positions for Liverpool, but that’s with just 14 games out wide compared to 21 up top.
Nunez is still raw and doesn’t really fit the mould of striker Liverpool have used in years gone by, such as Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino.
Klopp has seemingly felt that Nunez’s pace can cause mayhem down the left but with Luis Diaz coming back, Nunez’s future has to be as a striker.
With William Saliba likely out for Arsenal today, this may be a great time to give him another go as a centre forward.
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