07 May 2024 16:17:20
Nunez is a good player with potential to be very good. He polarises opinion but I think if you analyse him rationally he's not the disaster he's made out ot be in the media or the next Suarez/ Torres we hoped he's become. You do have to question his mentality because he seems to blow incredibly hot and cold for someone of his age which points towards a fragile confidence. Then there is also the issue that he's still not learned to speak English, which in itself is not a good look.
Nunez's career so far looks like he might follow a similar pattern to Drogba. Different players in their approach but both architects of chaos who didn't always get the goal return their overall play deserves. Like Drogba I can see Nunez having years where it'll just click and he'll score 20-30. I can also see him having other years where he might only score 5-10. Drogba eventually peaked in his late 20's and only really had 2 prolific seasons in his Chelsea career, but he is still a legend there because his work rate and physicality allowed others like Lampard, Malouda, Anelka, Robben and Cole to shine.
It's comes down to whether Slot wants more technically in the build up and in front of goal from his centre forward. Chelsea during Drogba's time had goals spread across midfield and attack so they didn't suffer when he had a year with a poor return. If we want to build our system around the majority of the chances falling to 2 or 3 players in the forward line (like we did with Mane, Bobby and Salah) Nunez is not the guy in my opinion because you can't bank on him for consistency. If we're happy to build a system where the goals are spread around the attack and the midfield, then I think Nunez is worth persevering with because he can be a good focal point who will also get assists even when the goals aren't flowing.
There is also the Salah situation to consider though. He is getting too old to work up and down the flank beating full backs for pace, but he's still a very technically gifted footballer with a knack for putting the ball in the net. So it wouldn't shock me to see him playing as the centre forward next season if he does decide to stay. Although the reports he'll stay might just be a way of getting more money from Saudi to be fair. It's going to be interesting to see who Slot takes a liking to and who he leaves behind. I do think certain players might do better than others in his tactically and technically demanding style of play. Gakpo, Elliott, Trent, Macca and Virgil might shine. Meanwhile Nunez, Jota, Endo, Robbo and Konate might struggle. Players in between like Szoboszlai and Diaz who have a bit of heavy metal and technical guile about them might go either way.
Only time will tell but I know Nunez will go on to score a lot more goals in his career whether that is here or somewhere else, because his pace and movement is just too impressive for him to not score goals. I'd keep him myself because I think if nothing else he can be a game changer off the bench but if his Instagram activity is a message to the club that he wants to go, I'm also not going to lose much sleep over it.
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07 May 2024 14:17:14
I'm not sure with Nunez, stay or go I'm on the fence. I do think with strikers who's finishing and touch are rushed and off, it should be able to be sorted with coaching, his in the right place to get the chances and is a nightmare to play against that's hard to coach. I am also conscious that Mo Salah joined us age 25.nunez is 24.Mo Salah was dubious when we signed him at 25, at 24 we would of been underwhelmed at the least had we signed him. I think it will depend on slot, I think out of possession slot is like klopp, in possession more Pep so possibly fine tune that finishing and there's a player there.
06 May 2024 19:33:46
Nunez gets paid by the club a wage that was negotiated by his agent and the club were obviously happy to pay that. When you pull on the shirt most fans just want that player to give everything he can for the club. Nunez does that, where as Suaraz a great player loved by the fans embarrassed the club a number of times and just used Liverpool to get to Spain. I honestly believe Slot will improve Nunez and all this negativity will disapear.
07 May 2024 09:10:56
Difference is suarez was our only top class player, we all hoped he stayed because of good he was, we all wanted him to stay regardless of his antics, but we are in a better position nowadays . Nunez has got great strings to his bow but his finishing is bad, been here 2 years with the most offensive manager he'll ever have . I hope he can turn it round but I can't see it myself.
06 May 2024 12:49:01
Sorry but fans are entitled to their opinions on players. At the end of the day, they pay good money to see them perform so when a player who cost £85million has shown no improvement in the 2 seasons he’s been here, some fans are going to get vexed. I mean how many clear cut chances has he missed? How many times has he hit the woodwork? How many times has he been caught offside? Yes he puts a shift in, yes he is passionate but we bought him to score goals, not miss them. If he has scored even half the chances that have been created for him, we’d probably have won the league this season! I don’t with abusing a player and making it personal but I can understand why some fans are peed off with him. I actually think we should sell him this summer as I just think he isn’t good enough and can’t see him improving enough to be a goalscorer like Torres or Suarez.
06 May 2024 13:44:44
Whatever his shortcomings have been, it does not warrant the abuse. Having watched useless tossers like Balotelli and Diouf coast through games and do nothing, at least Nunez is man enough to put a shift in and try. His confidence is probably at rock bottom at the moment and confidence is a huge thing for strikers. He’s (and all of our forwards) also not helped by our porous defending and inability to keep a clean sheet, that puts immense pressure on our attackers to either get us back into games or knowing we can’t effectively provide a solid basis to attack from.
06 May 2024 14:29:43
"I don’t agree with abusing a player"
Great. Having an opinion on a player is not the same as abusing one. So that begs the question as to why are you making this defence of fans' rights to express their precious opinions immediately after Nunez deletes a load of social media content over abuse he got?
06 May 2024 14:57:16
Well Hitler had an opinion too. . .
Darwin has literally improved this season
So those fans saying that whilst also abusing himare dumb
Just my opinion.
06 May 2024 17:12:17
Criticise his ability - fair enough, but be proportionate.
Don’t criticise his hair, his family, his intelligence.
07 May 2024 07:00:45
Big Popper - and yet we won nothing with Torres and Suarez. Nunez has also scored more goals than Suarez did in his first two calender years at the club.
In terms of club success, Bobby is our best number striker in recent years, yet again Nunez is outperforming him in terms of both goals and assists.
It's easy to focus on the offsides and chances missed, but that shouldn't over shadow what Nunez brings to the team, which is a lot and there's no reason he cannot get better. Seeing as we are comparing people used to say Suarez couldn't finish either, then he exploded. I back Nunez to do the same.
06 May 2024 12:33:40
I'm sure most of you are aware of the football streamer mark goldbridge
He did a video recently calling out man city and how they're ruining English football etc well it turns out he's been sent a cease and desist order by the club basically telling him if he does it again they will be suing him for slander
1. Who do they think they are?
2. If city are threatening to sue a man who makes YouTube videos it makes you think who else have they been intimidating? Cease and desist orders to pgmol? Pundits?
Cancer of a club and they are destroying the English game.
06 May 2024 13:53:09
Was a letter from their solicitors not an actual court order. Not worth the paper it was written on. If they sent something like that to me I’d wipe my arse on it and send it back to them.
06 May 2024 16:10:46
Do you even know what slander is or what a cease and desist letter is?
Mark Goldbridge made some statements and allegations against Man City on a public platform that they consider to be untrue so they are well withing their legal rights to pursue the matter legally against Goldbridge.
And what has this got to do with the PGMOL? Did the PGMOL make any untrue statements against Man City that warranted a cease and desist letter or any form of legal action? I honestly can't see the jump in logic you have there.
I do think that Man City is a shady club and they have definitely bent the rules to gain an advantage, as can be seen by the 115 charges, but the mental gymnastics going on in your statement is so complex that I can't even keep up with it.
06 May 2024 09:22:22
Hi Ed's,
With Achterberg leaving, what are the thoughts on Jyri Nieminen, is he definitely coming with Arne? And any insights on what he's like?
Cheers.
{Ed002's Note - I know nothing of him at all.}
06 May 2024 09:44:17
No worries, thanks for the reply.
06 May 2024 08:02:36
Scrolled through and nothing on it.
What is the madness of Cody Gakpo and the penalty not being awarded
Not a mention of it on any news report
Why didn't VAR step in and correct the wrong decision.
{Ed025's Note - because he dived like Greg Louganis?..
06 May 2024 08:35:37
I have to agree with Ed on this. Gakpo exaggerated the contact and it would have been a soft penalty if it had been given. Ultimately, it didn't affect the result that much and that is why I think no one is talking about it.
06 May 2024 12:37:53
I agree that it would have been soft Ed025 but not as soft as Arsenal’s penalty on Saturday. God knows how Man City got given their penalty either. Absolutely shocking that one.
{Ed025's Note - every supporter thinks the are treated unfairly when it comes to refereeing decisions Bobby, truth is mate the standard of officiating is criminal and the amount they get wrong is staggering, between VAR and late offside decisions i have lost faith in the lot of it to be honest, is it down to using VAR as a crutch or just sheer incompetence i dont know, but i would not rule out corruption either..
06 May 2024 20:42:43
Howdy Ed25
Trust you're well
So what's your take on the 3 penalty decisions this past weekend?
Arsenal, City and LFC?
For me. none are penalties yet Arsenal and City get given them.
These decisions are too inconsistent for us to simply put it down to incompentence.
{Ed025's Note - hi JLC, all 3 were borderline for me mate, i personally would not have awarded any of them...but especially the Cody Louganis one.. :)