For many, those 13 minutes plus stoppage time in which Darwin Núñez turned the game on its head at St James’ Park marked the moment he finally arrived as a Liverpool player.

By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com

Nine touches, three accurate passes, two shots, two goals. Outperforming his xG by 1.57.

In truth, that would be a disservice to the year that came before it for a striker who, albeit not living up to the expectations of his £85 million price tag, delivered on a number of occasions for his new club.

Núñez scored 15 goals in 42 games in his first campaign on Merseyside, and along with four assists it meant he averaged a direct goal contribution every 124.5 minutes across all competitions.

There was a blistering cameo on his Premier League debut against Fulham, a winner against West Ham at Anfield, two goals from the left flank against Southampton, a brace in the 7-0 humiliation of Manchester United and a sumptuous touch and finish to cap a 6-1 mauling of Leeds.

In the Champions League, the Uruguayan netted in four consecutive games, culminating with a stunning flick beyond Thibaut Courtois in the eventual 5-2 loss to Real Madrid in the first leg of the last 16.

Núñez was never a flop, but the closing weeks of 2022/23 confirmed that he had yet to fully earn Jürgen Klopp’s trust. He started just three of a possible 12 games across April and May, missing three through injury. The manager repeatedly stressed that the “ticket” into his side was application off the ball – not just on it – and the signing of Cody Gakpo in January provided the prime example.

That set up the narrative of Núñez recapturing Klopp’s imagination with a star turn against Newcastle, with two goals from the bench to seal a 2-1 win for a side with 10 men, and has led to calls for the 24-year-old to reclaim his starting spot.

If Núñez is chaos, Gakpo has been calm and control. The Dutchman has proved a revelation since his £37 million arrival from PSV Eindhoven, joining as a prolific left winger and immediately converted to Roberto Firmino’s deep-dropping false nine role, adding his own slant standing 6’4” with delicate touch, close control and an eye for goal. A stark contrast to Núñez’s bulldozing brand of centre-forward play.

Núñez and Gakpo have shared the pitch on 18 occasions so far for Liverpool but are yet to combine for a goal, with there a growing sense that it is one or the other for Klopp’s starting lineup.

That raises the debate over who can earn first-choice status this season, inheriting the spot vacated by Firmino as part of an evolution in the Reds’ forward ranks.

In Núñez, Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Luis Díaz and Diogo Jota, Liverpool arguably boast the best attacking depth in Europe, with Klopp able to call upon five proven, elite-level forwards all with very different skillsets.

So far this season, Díaz and Salah have started all three games on either flank, while Jota took up centre-forward duties until Gakpo was able to step forward from midfield for the trip to Newcastle. Núñez’s drop down the pecking order was inarguable, but there is a wider belief that his impact at St James’ Park should change that.

The question of Núñez or Gakpo (or Jota, for that matter) in the central role should not have a binary answer, however.

Núñez should not take over from Gakpo, as such. More so that his brace on Tyneside serves as a reminder of the unique quality that he can offer both from the bench and as a starter. For Klopp, it will be further proof that he is able to chop and change his attacking trio for any particular challenge.

Núñez may have claimed the No. 9 shirt over the summer, but there is no longer a bona fide first choice within Liverpool’s ranks – and that should be seen as a positive.

“The thing is, it’s early in the season, we need to find stability, we need to find a formation, we need to get results,” Klopp told Sky Sports after the victory over Newcastle.

“And then we’ll play every three days anyway and everybody will play, there’s no doubt about that. Even if Darwin would have started the first three games, he would not have played more games afterwards because of the intensity. He can’t.”

The manager later added: “This is a completely new team, new key players, that’s how it is. So that needs time.”

An unbeaten start, including trips to both Stamford Bridge and St James’ Park, has given Liverpool the platform to build that stability. Perhaps now, with the likes of Thiago, Stefan Bajčetić and Curtis Jones returning to fitness and the prospect of further additions in midfield, Klopp can look to diversify his options.

Núñez’s explosive pace and movement off the shoulder of defenders does not suit the battle against a deep-sitting, organised defence, but as shown against Newcastle, he can thrive driving into space. The upcoming visit of Aston Villa, who employ a progressive, high line under Unai Emery, could be perfect for the Uruguayan.

But for those other challenges – such as the trip to Wolves after the international break – Liverpool may benefit more from the roaming interplay of Gakpo, with the likes of Salah and Díaz moving off him.

Having both options is of paramount importance, particularly for a campaign that includes a return to the Europa League and the tight turnaround between fixtures from Thursdays to Sundays. Watch Núñez shine in Europe, where the style of those encounters could play into his hands, while Gakpo is preferred for high-profile clashes with the likes of the Manchester clubs, where structure is key.

Liverpool have perhaps never boasted as much depth in their attacking ranks, and while it appears only three – four, at a push – can fit into the starting lineup at any one time, Klopp would never see this as a headache.

He doesn’t need to identify a ‘first choice’ up front. In Núñez, Gakpo and even Jota or Salah, he has solutions for every possible scenario.

(Images from IMAGO)

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By Jack Lusby, ThisIsAnfield.com

With only days remaining in the summer transfer window, Liverpool fans could be forgiven for wondering if the club has done enough to solve its problems. So far, it stands at seven senior players out and three in as Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo comprise the rebuild.

Losing Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and, on loan, Fabio Carvalho, made bolstering the middle of the park an essential task.

But now, as the deadline approaches, Jurgen Klopp and the club’s recruitment staff should make another area of the pitch their priority – as signing a new centre-back is more important than a fourth midfielder.

Ideally, it will be both. Reports suggest that a “multi-functional” midfielder is still on the agenda, with the likes of OGC Nice’s Khephren Thuram, Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone obvious candidates.

However, those familiar with Klopp’s squad-building – and owners Fenway Sports Group’s risk-averse spending – will be aware that a smaller group with a reliable, versatile core is often the manager’s preference.

In Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Endo, Thiago, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic, Liverpool have seven midfielders for three positions – plus the option of dropping Cody Gakpo deeper as has been the case already this season.

All of those players will be afforded considerable game time over the course of the campaign, and Klopp can be assured that none will be left feeling like spare parts come May.

When it comes to his centre-back ranks, though, there is a clear shortage.

To explain this requires a brief summary of Liverpool’s new setup: though a 4-3-3 from kickoff, the hybrid role of Trent Alexander-Arnold means it becomes a 3-4-3 in possession, with the left-back becoming a third centre-back.

So when Alexander-Arnold pushes into midfield as is his remit, Andy Robertson moves alongside Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate to form a three-man unit.

The flaws of this approach are hotly debated, but in plain terms, Liverpool now operate with three centre-backs – and unlike the midfield, where seven (or even eight) goes into three, Klopp only has five recognised centre-back options to cover three positions.

Van Dijk and Konate are the first-choice pairing; Robertson is first choice in the second hybrid role of left-back and centre-back; and Joel Matip and Joe Gomez are deputies for the central positions.

As recent seasons have taught us, Liverpool are one, frustratingly likely, injury away from a less-than-desirable defensive line.

Matip has already admitted that he “needs to adapt” to the new system, as he found when filling in for Konate that “the right-back will not be there in the first moment.” Meanwhile Gomez, who to many resembles a useful option in Robertson’s role, was overlooked entirely throughout pre-season, instead filling in for Alexander-Arnold as an orthodox right-back. Kostas Tsimikas has long served as backup left-back, but a move to centre-back is doubtful.

Both Gomez and Matip are capable top-level centre-backs, but there are doubts over whether they fit into Klopp’s new setup – whether raised by supporters or, in his selection, the manager himself.

If Konate picks up a long-term injury, then, Liverpool will require Matip to step in alongside Van Dijk. But as shown during pre-season, the 32-year-old Matip’s lack of pace can be exposed repeatedly as Konate is effectively needed to cover both centre-back and right-back in the defensive phase.

Having another, more suitable option candidate would relieve this concern, while retaining Matip and Gomez as useful squad players to allow Klopp to shuffle his pack in a season when Liverpool will enter the Europa League for the first time since 2015/16.

While this would suggest that Liverpool should be targeting another right-sided centre-back, this season runs the risk of an elephant entering the room in the shape of Robertson on the opposite side.

Widely considered one of the world’s best left-backs at his peak, Robertson is now nearing his 30th birthday, and though still a formidable presence going forward, the minutes in his legs looked to have taken their toll of late. Now, the Scotland captain is tasked with performing a new role but appears caught in two minds as to whether to stay in defence or barrel forward, as usual, into attack.

Unlike Konate on the opposite side, Robertson does not possess the dominant physicality to cover the wide spaces in a three-man unit, and though the hope is that he can eventually adjust, the early signs are that he is not a long-term solution at centre-back.

It certainly raises the question of whether the shift in system is worth diluting Robertson’s natural quality as a full-back, but as it stands, the 3-4-3 seems set to stay.

So, then, the priority may well become signing a more suitable candidate as centre-back – a left-sided Konate clone, if you will. The issue there, of course, is that it may prove much harder in practice than on paper.

Levi Colwill was the perfect candidate, only to commit his long-term future to Chelsea with a new six-year contract. Josko Gvardiol may have been an upgrade on Colwill even, but the Croatian joined Manchester City in a deal worth £77.6 million. Micky van de Ven, another player coveted among Klopp’s staff, headed to Tottenham for £43 million. Jurrien Timber, Lucas Hernandez, Castello Lukeba and even Aymeric Laporte have all switched clubs, too.

There remain options, with Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio, Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd all touted with moves to Merseyside in recent months, but Liverpool are seemingly not set on any of their mooted targets.

But in a summer in which so much rests on Liverpool’s ability to evolve, to not bring in another centre-back – to challenge or, at least eventually, replace Robertson on that left-hand side – would be negligent.

The same, familiar conundrum presents itself to Klopp and the higher-ups in FSG: can Liverpool really afford to wait for the perfect player for the long term again while risking the short term?

(Images from IMAGO)

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