Arne Slot does not listen to Fan -Brallates or Pundit recommendations and, if he did, Liverpool may have had the shock of the season on Saturday.
“Take Darwin Nunez away now,” was the core of the resting suggestions when Liverpool placed a lazy, incoherent display against Rock-Bottom Southampton. Luis Diaz was also in the shooting line of the keyboard fighters on social media.
Slot, a few rows behind the press box was in the chic seats because of his touchline ban, did not take fate and with good reason, because the South American duo combined more than once to generate a comeback winning.
He will not listen here either, but, Mr Slot, here is our two Penneth value: Nunez has to start on Tuesday against Paris Saint-Germain.
Knowing what we know about the whimsical, Jekyll & Hyde striker, that could be the worst point of this reporter of the season. And that comes from someone who had Arsenal to win the competition and Nottingham Forest to go down!
But he would go into the game with confidence – which is often not the case with him – after his best week of the season (his brace to win the game in Brentford was the best moment, but he failed to support it).
He demonstrated perfect no. 9 game in Paris to win an air duel and then to help the competition winner Harvey Elliott. He scored with a productive character to rank against Southampton on Saturday, then won a penalty for 2-1 and never stopped running.
After those two moments on Saturday, coach Johnny Heitinga called him to the touchline. He put his hands on the cheeks of the Uruguayan, hugged him and gave him a blow or two on the wanderer.
He needs encouragement, Nunez does. One fan on X made the observation: “He was trapped like a golden retriever in the body of a person, I love the crazy man.”
Funny. He often runs around like a dog who releases his belt and craves the love of the people around him.
“Nunez is like a poisonous ex-partner who tries to win and live you back every time,” read another message.
Again, very good. When Liverpool fans are ready with him, ready to give up the £ 85 million people who once succeeds, he gets something out of his magical hat.
Those close to Nunez insist that he is an emotional man. He rides the highlights, such as the head that sings his name, but gets deeply hurt by criticism after a bad performance. He really gives up and wants to succeed, although his future beyond this season is unclear. It is fair to say that he is fighting for his career at elite level.
There are few players in the competition who divide the opinion like him. This happens at macros level with its shape up and down about a season, but also at Micr level in one match, sometimes even in a single passage of the game where he will do everything well to the finish.
Verbading but always very nice.
In the Parc des Princes ended on Wednesday, he changed the competition. He offered an outlet valve for Liverpool who looked at attacking ideas for most of the night and looked down in Paris.
Diogo Jota, who started as no. 9, was poor. An accomplished Finisher, Jota, but he did not look the same this season due to injuries.
Like Diaz as a central striker. The experiment started well, but he is clearly better as a left wing player, although he is currently looking tired and could do Liverpool with a positive fitness update about Cody Gakpo, who has a small foot problem.
PSG skipper Marquinhos loved to follow Jota on his deep runs in midfield to receive the ball – but how did he start looking for Nunez at the back? He struggled.
It stretched out the game. Nunez's off-the-ball arrows may not always see him receive the ball, but they help create space for others to exploit.
The different dimension that NUNEZ offered stopped PSG to dictate the procedure. The Parisiens made eight starting XI changes for their victory over Rennes on Saturday, so will be much fresher than Liverpool, whose Talisman such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk played a full 90 minutes.
Nunez is not perfect. Far from it. He is also susceptible to at least a few moments per game that express you: “What the hell he thought?” But he is currently driving high on trust … and PSG could harm that on Tuesday evening.
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