Szoboszlai might have been brave and scored himself. He squared it to Nunez - who should have scored, no doubt - but with the defender sliding across he tried to lift it and it blazed high, wide, and not very handsome.
I have been a staunch supporter of Nunez. For example, the one where Martinez rushed out to block would not have been a chance with any other striker, as Nunez made it himself with his speed and pressing.
Still, I do think he will be sold in the summer and Slot will reinvest the dough as he shapes his side.
Some context though, while we are tempted to slate Nunez - Jota was one on one with the goalie, on his right foot, in a lovely position to score. His shot almost went out for a thrown in! Jota also had a couple of good looks from a header. He should have scored there too. The one that went closest was a great effort that grazed the top of the bar.
Still, on the evidence of just today’s game, Jota’s misses far surpassed Nunez, but the die is cast and poor Nunez is getting it.
Yeah nah. Darwin got there first and still couldn’t get a touch that forces Martinez to take a red. I think Mo, Cody or Luis would have all done better there.
If they were at the end of it, they might have done better. But none of them would have created it, and none of them would have been there before Martinez. IMHO!
Firstly because we have more than just one game to know Nunez doesn’t cut it. Secondly, as disappointing as the Diogo miss was, it was a more difficult chance plus he also almost scored and has a track record of getting us goals.
His pressing on the defender nicked the ball away. I don’t think any of our other strikers would have been able to do that. Then his pace chases down the loose ball and he just about beats an onrushing Martinez to it. I don’t think any of our other strikers would have got there before the goalie.
Then yes, Martinez came out quickly and cleared the danger, just. But it only even looked like a bit of a chance because of Nunez. It wouldn’t have even got that far with any of the others.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Nunez will be sold in summer and Slot will reinvest the proceeds on a striker he prefers. I expect there to be more changes to the forward line than Nunez.
I wish his athletic gifts came with more skill and composure, but alas, he is falling short.
He’s starting to get to the point where he’s just a bit shit really, unfortunately. I’ve been convinced he’ll develop his finishing ability as he matures but he still looks absolutely clueless out there. There’s really not much sign of develop or maturity there.
It’s a shame but I think we’ll do our best to get rid this summer.
I think the chance when Martinez came out was awful by Darwin. If he turns the ball to his left its a red for the keeper.
I actually felt he fucked that up.
What do you mean ‘been there’? Darwin had the ball. I think the others would have nudged to the side and got wiped out. That said, it was brilliant goalkeeping
It feels like he’s undergone a similar journey at Liverpool to Karius - early promise, hope he can develop into a very good player, sudden collapse where it looks like they’ve never played football before. Only in Darwin’s case there hasn’t been an inciting incident like taking a Ramos to the head in the biggest game of their career.
It’s honestly perplexing, but I’ve been on the ‘let’s just get rid’ train for most of the season, everything points to us needing to just cut our losses.
I had this disagreement with @Limiescouse in the in game thread.
He does brilliantly to get there, as @RedOverTheWater notes. But once there, he simply toe pokes it into Martinez, when a better striker would touch it around him and create a simple square ball for Szoboszlai to touch it into an empty net, or he’d get Martinez sent off.
Sorry man, but that’s just being a bit of an apologist, no disrespect intended. Jota had chances yes, but no guarantee that hitting the target would not have drawn a save. Nunez literally had the goal gaping and went blazing at it when even a toe poked stub would have tickled over the line without anything Martinez could have done to stop it.
It was shocking and no use arguing that it is mitigated because another player missed a good chance as well.
‘yes hun, I burnt the house down but you crashed the car the other day so we’re evens’
Nunez is reminding me of basketball players who shoot 90%+ from the free throw line in practice and can’t crack 50% in games.
It’s in his head, he thinks he is going to miss, and he promptly does. It’s a vicious circle, one which I don’t see him breaking, at least not at Liverpool.
There is nothing normal about him not being able to score with an open goal at his mercy, something that has happened to him repeatedly in his Liverpool career. It’s not a question of talent, or ability either; if he was as misfiring as he has been for us, he’d have never reached at the highest level of professional football to begin with.