Liverpool ensured they signed off for the World Cup with four successive victories in all competitions, with their latest coming over Southampton on Saturday. It was a well-deserved three points but you have to give Southampton credit because their new manager, Nathan Jones, came to Anfield and gave it a go. They didn’t sit back, they tried to hit us and had men forward and made it a decent game. I said before Saturday that I fancied us as long as the strikers did their job, and both Nunez and Firmino did just that. That’s always been the case: when our forwards are lethal we will win games, even though we’re not defending as well as we have done over the last four or five years.
I’ve always liked Nunez ’s movement, even when I watched him play at Benfica. But the thing that impressed me recently is that he’s playing out of position. He’s a centre-forward but he’s being asked to do the Sadio Mane role and it’s taken him a couple of games to get used to it, but at Tottenham and against Southampton he was brilliant. He’s got the license to get into the box as well as a centre-forward too; where he got his second goal from. It’s not an easy role to play because you have to cover Andy Robertson and get back, but - to be fair - he’s doing it really, really well which is a bonus because it’s not his natural position.
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When Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota return from injury maybe Nunez can move back into the middle, but it gives the manager more variation in attack because he can play on the left. It’s certainly a good thing because Liverpool have more options.
Roberto Firmino found the back of the net on Saturday too, just days after missing out on Brazil’s 26-man squad for the World Cup. I think from a personal point of view - and a selfish point of view - the fewer players that go for me the better, but good luck to the players that are going to World Cup. Hopefully they do well and don’t get injured, that’s the main thing.
Bobby isn’t going but I think this year with his contract running out, he has a point to prove to Liverpool or any other team he could go to if he doesn’t sign a new deal. He’s done really, really well this year, he’s got the goals and assisted a few. He’s looked sharper than he has done in recent seasons.
You’ve got to trust the manager, if he [Firmino] keeps on scoring goals and continues with a new lease of life they will look at it, won’t they? If he keeps banging them in he warrants an extension.
I thought Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara also performed very well. Young Harvey Elliott too, what a ball! It was one of the best passes of the season, it was a magnificent ball to Nunez for the second goal. Now we’ve seen it, that’s what he’s got to do more of. It’s what he’s in the team for because - even though he’s only a kid - he’s got to get goals and assists as he’s the most attacking player out of the midfield three, but that will come if he continues to work on his game. He has great ability.
Now we have a six-week break from Premier League action, it’s time to assess where the first half of Liverpool’s season IS. A win in either of the games against Nottingham Forest or Leeds United would have made it a much better position, but we didn’t. We went to Tottenham Hotspur and won, and beat Manchester City. It’s now about regrouping, regrouping is really important and getting everyone back fit from the World Cup is key.
You look at the bench from the weekend and there are no real game-changers, with all due respect, because there are no natural, senior forwards. There’s no-one like Diaz or Jota on the bench and we need those options if things aren’t going right. This was what we needed against Forest and Leeds, so you need everyone available. We’re a bit light at the moment so hopefully Liverpool can regroup after the World Cup.
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