Jan Aage Fjortoft has named two Liverpool players who are ‘fun to watch’ but fall short of being worthy of ‘top class’ billing.
The Reds’ recent games have been characterised by the profligacy of their forwards, with a succession of chances not converted in the 2-2 draw at Manchester United and 0-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace.
Speaking on ESPN FC on Sunday night after the latter result, the ex-Middlesbrough striker picked out Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz as two examples of attackers who lack the true cold-blooded instinct of the world’s best players in that position.
Fjortoft said: “Against Manchester United, [Liverpool] had ten chances. Today against Crystal Palace, maybe not the best play, but they still created ten chances.
“Let’s be honest, Nunez is not a top, top class striker. Diaz is not a top class striker. They are great players, they are fun to watch, they’ve got energy when they’re on top of their game, but they’re not the goalscorer who you’d say ‘yeah, they’re will get 20-30 goals’. No chance.”
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The South American duo haven’t had a bad season by any means, with the Uruguayan netting 18 goals and the Colombian on 13 (Transfermarkt), but unfortunately the 24-year-old’s form has deserted him at the worst possible time for Liverpool.
Nunez has netted just once in his last six games, and even that was fortuitous one against Sheffield United. Diaz, to be fair, has two goals and an assist in his previous four Premier League outings, although it was concerning that he only took one shot during his 66 minutes on the pitch yesterday.
They can both be lethal when at their best, but neither has been at the top of their game recently. Hopefully they can enjoy a hot streak in the final five weeks of the campaign and send an emphatic message to their critics.
You can view Fjortoft’s comments below (from 4:59), via ESPN FC on YouTube: