Micah Richards has insisted that Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez hasn’t shown his true ability just yet.
Writing for The Daily Mail, Richards claimed that the Liverpool player will be better once he settles into the Premier League.
“People tried to make a battle between Haaland and Darwin Nunez but I don’t think that was ever realistic. Nunez — who is much better than he has shown so far, believe me — needs time at Liverpool but Haaland is going places quicker than any of us could have imagined,” said the pundit.
Owing to Haaland’s red-hot form for Manchester City, Nunez has been left a little behind in that particular battle. But the season is long. Darwin will come good.
Darwin still waiting for lift-off, but no need to panic
It says much about the knee-jerk reaction of football fans and media that this even needs to be clarified.
Nunez has so far played just 259 minutes of football for his new club. That’s less than three full games. In that time so far he has two goals. Hardly cause for too much concern.
It is true that he hasn’t found the net in his last four appearances, but that amounts to just 189 minutes, or two games.
Of course, goals aren’t everything and there has been some concern about Nunez’s all-round game. But he needs time and minutes on both the training ground and the pitch.
The Uruguayan’s adaptation period to England has perhaps come under greater scrutiny thanks to Haaland’s unreal form.
City’s main man has obliterated all before him so far. Well, apart from Liverpool.
14 goals in 10 games is a ridiculous output by anyone’s standards. But he’s played over 800 minutes. His strike-rate is still phenomenal and it’s a real shame that Liverpool weren’t higher on his list of suitors this summer, but he should be irrelevant in the Nunez discussion.
Hopefully Liverpool’s No.27 can put all the discourse behind him with a good run of form as Liverpool play nine games over the next four weeks.
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