One Liverpool player has been accused of being overly ‘aggressive’ and too easily losing his head during matches.
Veteran Irish pundit Johnny Giles made those observations about Darwin Nunez in the latest episode of The Stand podcast, claiming that Jurgen Klopp ‘can’t depend on’ the Uruguay international because of his temperament.
The 83-year-old said of the Reds’ number 9: “His head doesn’t seem to be there sometimes. Sometimes you see him and think ‘he’s a really top-class player.’
“He’s one of those that can be. They’re no good to you really overall because you can’t depend on them to do what needs to be done.
“He loses his head very easily as well. He gets very aggressive, which is OK if you’re doing it in the right way but not if you’re giving fouls away.”
There is a very fine line between a healthy aggression and an overly volatile temperament, and Liverpool fans may have been fearing that Nunez would cross it too often after he was sent off for headbutting Joachim Andersen on his first Anfield appearance in August 2022.
However, that remains his only red card in 66 Reds appearances to date, with eight yellows accumulated in the meantime, although five of those bookings have come during the current campaign (Transfermarkt).
Despite some within the media questioning whether the 24-year-old was fortunate not to be dismissed against Manchester United last Sunday, he’s not as reckless or ‘dirty’ a player as some might try to make out.
Of Liverpool’s five senior forwards, Nunez has actually committed the second-fewest fouls this season (15, via FBref), so it’d be unfair to brand him as an overly aggressive footballer.
We don’t want to lose the determined streak which fuels his best performances, so long as he continues to keep his temper in check and not let it spill over to the detriment of his team. To be fair to the Uruguayan, he’s largely maintained the right balance in that regard so far at Anfield.
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