Following the Reds’ bruising 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford, Ally McCoist has waded into the fallout, boldly claiming that Liverpool are suffering in the absence of Darwin Nunez.
Speaking on the aftermath of the loss, the Scotsman insisted that the Merseysiders miss the Uruguayan’s chaotic influence and urged the club to be aggressive in the upcoming summer transfer window to avoid further stagnation.
Darwin Nunez, the former Liverpool marksman, would have relished the opportunity to be unleashed in Arne Slot’s lineup for Sunday’s high-stakes showdown at Old Trafford.
Indeed, the unpredictable striker frequently stepped up for the intense battles against the Reds’ bitter rivals during his tenure at Anfield. Across his eight appearances against Manchester United, he proved to be a persistent thorn in their side, racking up a solid return of two goals and two assists.
Heading home this perfectly executed effort in 2023, as Liverpool romped to a stunning 7-0 victory over Erik ten Hag’s forlorn away side, Nunez was a much-loved figure at the Reds when he was this passionate, goalscoring version of himself.
Unfortunately, he was far too inconsistent to be kept around, with the South American sold onto Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal last summer, after only registering five Premier League goals under the new Slot regime.
Slot had to make do with an unconventional attacking set-up during the 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford, with Cody Gakpo starring as a central figure.
Ally McCoist has come out to boldly state that Liverpool miss Nunez right now, with Hugo Ekitike also sidelined for the foreseeable future, the TalkSPORT pundit didn’t hold back on his thoughts on the reigning Premier League champions.
McCoist’s bold comments on Nunez
Despite spending close to £446m last summer, Liverpool have suffered from an immense hangover this season, after clinching the title triumphantly during Slot’s debut campaign at the helm.
Ultimately, away from Ekitike scoring 17 goals in all competitions, both Alexander Isak – who cost a whopping £125m – and Florian Wirtz – who cost £116m on his own – have been too inconsistent, with poor performances and injuries piling up.
The ex-Rangers striker, turned TalkSPORT pundit, believes Liverpool are missing Nunez as another marksman they could fall back on, when commenting on the Reds’ dire 3-2 defeat against Michael Carrick’s hosts.
He said, rather surprisingly: “Do you know something? I think they’ve missed the big boy up front, Darwin Nunez.
“He was criticised, and a lot of it was justified, but the one thing he did, he was a presence.
“He ran about, he made himself a real nuisance, he chipped in with some goals, they’ve missed him as well I think.”
Nunez has had his own goalscoring issues to deal with in the Saudi Pro League, with only nine goals next to his name from 24 Al-Hilal appearances.
But, there is a method to his madness here, as the 26-year-old was well-known to grab games by the scruff of the neck, even if he was consistently inaccurate in front of goal.
Despite their mass spending last summer, the forthright Scotsman also believes that Liverpool need to go back into the market this approaching transfer window, to right the wrongs of a bitterly disappointing second season under Slot.
McCoist predicts another busy Liverpool summer
It’s hard to pinpoint any of Liverpool’s major summer signings as overwhelming successes, with Giorgi Mamardashvili looking unsettled in goal this season, filling in for Alisson, as a £26m recruit from Valencia.
Moreover, Jeremie Frimpong struggled last time out against the Red Devils when winning just two duels, as another misfire around the £30m mark.
McCoist has drawn up the positions he believes Liverpool should be looking to strengthen in the summer, with improvements needed up top, in the middle of the park, and at centre-back, according to the unfiltered pundit.
He said: “They just haven’t handled losing the players they have, and the players they’ve brought in, whether it’s been injury or lack of form.
“Wirtz, [Milos] Kerkez has taken a while to get going, [Jeremie] Frimpong’s taking a little bit of time to get going as well.
“They’ve obviously had injuries, a couple of young centre-backs as well.
“They need strengthening in my opinion, certainly need right up the spine I think – centre-forward, centre-midfielder and a centre-back.”
It’s hard to go against McCoist’s comments if you’re of a Merseyside persuasion, as this season has been a dire one to take in, after the ecstasy of last season.
Hopefully, with some more summer spending on the horizon, Liverpool can bounce back from this mess, with three more games left of the current Premier League campaign to clinch a coveted Champions League spot.
