Liverpool

Liverpool

Premier League • England

Carragher insists Darwin Nunez ’causes big problems’, pinpointing why Liverpool spell has been ‘stop-start’

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp greeting striker Darwin Nunez

Darwin Nunez has the potential to be a “handful” for Premier League defenders, according to Jamie Carragher – but it is still too soon to judge whether he is the “right fit” for Liverpool.

Nunez has endured an up-and-down start to his time as a Liverpool player. He scored on his debut in the Community Shield at the end of July. But he only has one Premier League goal to his name so far, having missed three matches due to a suspension for a red card against Crystal Palace in August.

Without a goal in over a month, there have been some questions about Liverpool’s record signing. A few observers are wondering whether he will properly suit the club, who sold Sadio Mane earlier this year.

But the 23-year-old still has his supporters. Under contract until 2028, there is plenty of time for him to get up to speed at Anfield.

According to former Liverpool defender Carragher, Darwin Nunez has endured a “stop-start” time with the club so far. However, the pundit insists that the Uruguay international is someone most defenders will not want to come up against.

The catch for now is that Nunez is a different type of player to what Liverpool have recently had in his position.

Carragher told the Daily Mail: “I would have found him a handful. I think anyone would.

“It is just where Liverpool can have that connection with him. But the size, the pace, the power of him, he has a great goal-scoring record; you don’t want to be coming up against him too often.

“It has been really stop-start for him. Obviously the sending off was unfortunate and coming on at different times and trying to get up to speed with the rest of the team. But also getting used to the new team as well.

“He is completely different to what Liverpool had before in terms of Roberto Firmino, he is a completely different profile of player.

“He looks raw. But there is no doubt there are some great physical attributes. He causes big problems for the opposition.

“It is just the next five or six weeks we will see that integration a lot more. It will be a lot easier then to judge whether he is the right fit. Because now he has just not played enough football for the team.”

Darwin Nunez can still be part of Liverpool title challenge

Liverpool as a whole have not endured the start to the Premier League season that they would ideally have envisaged. They have won only two of their first six matches in the division.

After finishing one point off top spot last season, they are yet to kick on in the new campaign.

However, Carragher does not think that has ruled them out of title contention yet. That said, he is not treating their recent win over Ajax in the Champions League as a turning-the-corner moment in its own right.

He explained: “They can still challenge for the Premier League, no doubt.

“But in terms of turning a corner it needs more than one game. There have been five or six games where Liverpool have been nowhere near their best.

“[Against Ajax] there was a typical Jurgen Klopp Liverpool performance, but I think they will need more than one game.

“You need to see the next four or five games to see if Liverpool are back on track. But it was nice to see Liverpool back to their best.”

Their next fixture will come after the international break, when they host Brighton on October 1.

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