Emile Heskey has explained why he thinks Liverpool fans will give one player ‘the benefit of the doubt’ despite some much-discussed flaws to his game.
Ever since coming to Anfield 18 months ago, Darwin Nunez has had to face repeated criticism from numerous pundits regarding his finishing ability, with the 24-year-old frequently culpable of passing up chances he ought to score, as reflected in him underperforming on his xG in the Premier League by two this season (FBref).
However, he showed with his goal in the 2-0 win at Burnley on Boxing Day that he’s a lethal finisher when at his best, while the Uruguayan is also an indefatigable ball of energy in the final third – much like his compatriot Luis Suarez during his prime on Merseyside a decade ago.
Speaking to The Redmen TV, Heskey urged Liverpool’s number 9 to be more consistent with his output, but added that the Merseyside faithful would accept the imperfections to his game due to the ‘tenacity’ he shows on the pitch.
The former Reds striker said of Nunez: “One key thing for Liverpool fans – they’ll give you the benefit of the doubt if you work hard, run around and put yourself about. That’s one of the key things that he’s got; he’s got that tenacity about him.
“Suarez was another one who had that but he put up numbers. The fact that he [Suarez] ran around, he chased, he kicked people, he didn’t give anyone an inch – I think Darwin’s got that as well, but now it’s just about getting the numbers up, just getting that consistency.
“We’ve seen him score goals and he can score goals but it’s just that consistency. He’s quite erratic. The goal against Burnley was fantastic. He passed the ball into the net. Then you see another one that you’ll perceive as being easier and he’ll smash them.
“He’s just gotta get that little bit of consistency, but the key thing for him is performances. Make sure your performances are on point because I would say the Liverpool fans would back you to the hilt.”
Perhaps Nunez will always have that element of unpredictability to his game and never quite become as clinical a finisher as someone like Suarez or Mo Salah.
However, as Heskey rightly says, Liverpool supporters can see that the 24-year-old never shies away from trying to get on the ball and make things happen for his team. So long as he continues to do that, the Uruguayan will always have the backing of the Anfield faithful.
You can view Heskey’s comments on Nunez below (from 1:32), via The Redmen TV on YouTube: