Criticism has always been a part of football, and is something that has arguably intensified since the introduction of social media.
Liverpool players, past and present, have always been subject to both stick and praise throughout their respective careers. Some have been fair, while others have occasionally been a little over the top.
When it comes to Darwin Nunez, the recent criticism of Liverpool’s newest striker certainly fits into the latter of those two categories. And funnily enough, the latest round has been sparked by a video circulating on social media.
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Footage emerged on Twitter taken from a Uruguay training session, where Nunez is currently away on international duty. The video shows the Liverpool striker colliding with his team-mate to regain possession, before launching the ball into the area which appears to miss his team-mates and the goal.
A tiny snapshot of a session has been used by some rival fans as ammunition to question the striker’s ability. While criticism is part of the game - sometimes it is unfair and totally without justificiation, with a clear agenda behind it.
Liverpool agreed a deal with Benfica worth up to a potential £85.5million in the summer, which would make him the club’s record signing should all the add-ons be paid. This is the first piece of pressure that was on Nunez’s shoulders before he even wore a Reds shirt.
The second came a few miles down the M62, at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. A few weeks before Nunez signed for Liverpool, Man City were announcing the signing of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund.
Given both players are of a similar age and play in the same position, both were immediately placed in direct competition with each other in the arena of football opinion, as well as at club level. And what hasn’t helped Nunez’s cause is the impressive start that Haaland has made to life in the Premier League.
Haaland has 11 goals in just seven league appearances this season, and 14 in 10 outings in all competitions. Nunez has so far scored twice in six matches - but he has only played 176 minutes in the league up to this point.
Given both players were placed in competition with each other before a ball had even been kicked, the form of one was always going to lead to criticisms of the other, unless both scored the same amount of goals. And given that Haaland is averaging more than a goal a game, that is only going to increase the criticisms aimed at Nunez.
Of course, some of the criticism will be justified. For example, his red card against Crystal Palace will have been addressed internally by the club, with Jurgen Klopp saying himself that it was an error on the player’s part.
But when it comes to the form side of Nunez, it’s worth remembering that while not every player is the same, it’s not the first time a Liverpool striker has started life slowly. And one of them has gone on to become a fan favourite and a club legend.
Roberto Firmino was signed by Brendan Rodgers in the summer of 2015, but it took until Jurgen Klopp came to the club a few months later for the player to really shine. Even then, it still took Firmino a while to adjust to Klopp’s system and intensity.
Firmino was made to wait until his tenth match in a Liverpool shirt to score his first goal. Even then, by the time the Brazilian had made 24 appearances for the Reds he still only had the one goal to his name.
Liverpool are blessed to have a rich history when it comes to strikers. Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres, Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler are just some of the names to light up Anfield in front of goal in the Premier League era, with many more across the decades.
Being a striker in a Liverpool team is tough, no question. Being a striker in a Jurgen Klopp team makes that even tougher, but when it comes good the evidence shows that the reward will be even greater.
Patience is the key to success in times of transition. That’s what Liverpool are going through as they integrate Nunez into their attacking system.
It’s far too early to judge a player, positively or negatively, after they’ve only played half a dozen matches across two months. See how Nunez is getting on by the time the season stops for the World Cup, and then it’s worth revisiting the conversation.
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