What was hoping to be a fairytale finish to a magical run for Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp is now turning out to be a nightmare. Starting the season with a possibility of winning four trophies to call an end to Klopp’s tenure at Anfield seemed like a tantalizing prospect.
However, a scathing month of April scarred Liverpool beyond recovery and they ended up bowing out of all possible triumphs barring the Carabao Cup. A painful defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup Quarter-Final, a hammering at the hands of Atalanta at home in the Europa League and a chaotic collapse in the three-horse race for the Premier League title with Manchester City and Arsenal meant it was a bitter finish to the season.
A whole lot of problems for Liverpool to deal with during this drastic slump in form, same can be said about Darwin Nunez’s return to his old ways of woeful finishing and erratic decision making.
By no means is Nunez having a bad season, however he is guilty of missing loads of chances this season especially during the business end that has costed his team beyond repair. It can even be said that while Liverpool are nowhere near leak proof defensively, their striker hasn’t been doing the bare minimum on the other end as efficiently as expected.
There is no need to look deeper to figure out that this is a story that repeats itself every season. Analysts and fans are of a view that Nunez must do better and has in some ways let down Liverpool and cost them and more importantly Klopp, some silverware.
The feeling of upset and anger amongst the fans and also within the club regarding Darwin’s performances have begun to take its toll and see its effects. The uneasy atmosphere around him at the club saw Nunez delete all of his photos and posts of his time at Liverpool. A move, which has certainly divided opinion amongst the fans and raised a few eyebrows here and there.
While Liverpool’s rocky form and subsequent reactions may have caused Darwin to go on and deleted his Liverpool posts, some fans online are coming out in support of the Uruguayan. 31 goals and assists by a striker in the Premier League is no way near catastrophic as people make it out it to be, in fact those are very good numbers for any forward.
The shockwaves sent by Nunez’s move apparently saw a lot of respect and appreciation directed towards him, with people admiring his contribution to the team as well as puzzled by the exorbitantly high standards at Liverpool.
Some fans are even trying to draw a line between shelved and deleted as they believe Nunez can’t just delete all of his social media presence with respect to his time at Liverpool, saying he has simply archived the posts and not sent them to the trash bin.
It is also brought to the notice of aficionados that Nunez is not the first Liverpool player to suffer from the negative reaction from Liverpool fans, with Gini Wijnaldum a previous victim of the same hand.
Football is more than just a game of numbers, and unfortunately for Nunez, he falls on the fatal side of this double-edged sword. Even with more than decent stats, he flatters to deceive at times with his inconsistency and poor finishing, which understandably is a head-scratcher for the fans.
So, it is no surprise that some fans are indifferent to his decision to clear his Instagram. Some would even be happy to see the back of him.
Regardless of the opinion, it must not be forgotten that Nunez is still very young. At 24, he has a lot to learn and improve. However, it can also be said that not many forwards in the world work harder than Darwin Nunez.
His pace and athleticism along with his draining work rate is much appreciated by clubs around Europe, with top teams like Barcelona monitoring his tip off with Liverpool and interested to capitalize on his services.
While Liverpool are undergoing changes of the highest order because of the departure of probably their greatest manager in Jurgen Klopp, a mass revolution could also take place within the club as well. With Salah seemingly unhappy at the club, van Dijk too unsure of his future at Liverpool beyond Klopp, Nunez could also be on his way out. If his recent social media activity is any indication, he might have just dropped the biggest hint.