View: 20% Liverpool star Darwin Nunez struggles for Uruguay amid ban fears
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez was hooked off at half-time as he struggled to put the troubles of the Colombia game behind him against Canada (13 July).
Nunez was involved with his in a melee that broke out in the stands between some Uruguay players and Colombia fans.
CONMEBOL has opened an investigation into the incident and Liverpool have reached out to the striker and will wait until the facts have emerged before releasing an official statement.
The Daily Mail reported on 11 July that he could be facing a lengthy ban that could also crossover into domestic football.
Uruguay faced Canada in the third place play-off, two days after the incident and their 1-0 loss to Colombia.
La Celeste beat the Canadians 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in which Nunez’s replacement Luis Suarez scored a 92nd-minute equaliser.
Nunez needs to control emotions to become a Liverpool success
Liverpool fans have dubbed Nunez the ‘agent of chaos’ during his time at the club for his ability to make things happen on the pitch.
The clash against Newcastle United last season (27 August 2023), in which he scored two goals, including the winner off the bench is the perfect example.
Reports that he entered the stands to protect his family would add mitigating circumstances to his actions and Jose Maria Gimenez described it as a “disaster” as the players wanted to protect their families from the chaos (liverpool.com, 11 July).
Nunez is known for letting his emotions boil over and was sent off for a headbutt on Joachim Anderson against Crystal Palace (15 August 2022) in his second start for the club.
Against Canada, he only mustered one off target shot in the first 45 minutes, completed just 20 per cent of his dribbles, won only 27 per cent of his duels contested, and lost possession of the ball eight times in a night to forget for the striker (Sofascore).
Nunez started Copa America like a house on fire scoring two goals in the first two matches of the tournament.
His performances will have caught the eye of Liverpool manager Arne Slot before the Colombia match, as he showed he has the tools to lead the frontline for the Reds this season.
He completed 13 successful dribbles, won 31 duels, and had 21 shots and 39 touches in the opposition box, all in the 100 percentile for forwards at the competition (Fotmob).
The overall play has never been the issue for Nunez at Anfield, but his ability to put the ball into the net has raised question marks on his future.
His performance against Luton Town in November is up there as one of his worst in a Liverpool shirt.
Nunez had nine shots with three on target throughout the match and missed the target when presented with an open goal, that would have won the game for the Reds (StatMuse).
He became a target of frustration for Liverpool fans last season as he failed to step up and deliver goals when his side needed him.
His 11 goals and eight assists in the league were among the lowest goal contributions of his peers in the Premier League (FBref).
With 16.3 xG, he underperformed in front of goal and while that is the lowest among the league’s best strikers, he was eight goals behind his closest rivals Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke.
It wasn’t through a lack of trying, he had the third-highest amount of shots on target, averaging 2.02 shots on target per 90, the highest in the league.
Nunez has become somewhat of an enigma during his time in England and, as he enters his third season at Anfield, needs to deliver.
He will have the backing of Slot going into the new season and has already confirmed he will be in his plans this season.
He said: “I just told him that, from what I saw, he played multiple positions and what positions – or position – I see him playing.
“I assume he’ll fit really well into this playing style because I like him. I’ve told him that already; he’s one of the players I’ve spoken to.” (The Mirror, 12 July)
Nunez has all the tools to excel for the Reds next season but needs to learn to control his emotions as he cannot afford another hit and miss year at Anfield.
In other Liverpool news, Steven Gerrard sends four-word message as Morecambe finalise new signing.
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