Liverpool supporters are preparing to watch their team in another match tonight after a week of despair.
The Reds are coming off the back of two dreadful results, having been beaten by Atalanta and Crystal Palace over the course of four days.
Both games were tough watches for anybody of a Liverpool persuasion. As usual at Anfield, the Reds created plenty of opportunities, but despite accumulating an xG of 5.41 over the 180 minutes, Liverpool scored 0 goals.
The law of averages suggests that if the team keep creating such hoards of chances, then they will eventually score a hatful. Tonight’s Europa League return leg in Bergamo would be a good time for that to happen.
But football doesn’t always work that way. And according to former Man City defender Nedum Onuoha, Liverpool fans will ‘fear’ what’s going on with two wasteful players in particular.
Liverpool fans not used to missed chances
Since the Crystal Palace game in particular, a lot of the blame for missed opportunities has been placed with Darwin Nunez.
The Uruguayan has been profligate throughout much of his Liverpool career, squandering big chances on a game-by-game basis.
So, when Onuoha told the BBC’s Planet Premier League podcast that Reds fans were ‘not used’ to watching their team be wasteful in front of goal, we’re not sure it rang true.
But what the pundit is correct in, is that Liverpool fans are certainly frustrated by what they’re seeing from Nunez and Mohamed Salah especially right now.
“When you look at say Liverpool and their fanbase they’re watching their side squander so many opportunities,” says Onuoha.
“Then they leave the game thinking their team played badly when realistically maybe they didn’t, but in those final moment in those key stages they’re probably having players that unfortunately at this time for them are squandering so many opportunities. I think if there’s a side that doesn’t create any all of sudden then that feels more of an alarm bell to me.
“But then also that fear of seeing them squandering it and knowing the weight of the chance. ‘Oh no this guy’s missed it from a yard out, what does that mean?’ I’m sure some Liverpool fans out there are seeing the likes of Nunez, Salah missing chances at the moment, it’s not something that they’re used to.”
Who should play against Atalanta
With goals needed in tonight’s game, Jurgen Klopp has some big decisions to make. Not least who should play from Liverpool’s misfiring forwards.
On the one hand, Nunez and Salah have shown that they can’t be relied upon to find the net at the moment.
On the other, they’re Liverpool’s top two scorers this season and no matter if they’re on form or not, they always look lively and cause problems.
In our opinion, Nunez has run out of chances ahead of this game, though. That doesn’t mean his future should be in jeopardy or anything like that. But the Reds need to be clinical tonight and the 24-year-old can’t be trusted to take his chances. Instead, Diogo Jota should come in. Time to break the duck.