Robbie Fowler claims out-of-form Reds forward ‘is NOT a Liverpool player’ after another poor showing in FA Cup win
Robbie Fowler argued that Darwin Nunez is not fit to wear a Liverpool shirt during the Reds’ 4-0 FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley.
Nunez had two big chances to score, just 12 minutes into the affair, but fluffed his opportunities and continued his poor goalscoring record.
The Uruguayan has managed just one goal in his last 14 games, despite Liverpool’s dominant form under Arne Slot. Since arriving on Merseyside, he has scored just 37 goals in 121 appearances in all competitions.
Fowler slammed Nunez’s performance on Saturday, arguing that his work rate alone is not enough to earn him minutes at Liverpool.
‘We’re saying the same things now that we were saying two or three years ago, he’s raw, he’s this, he’s that. We can’t keep saying that stuff,’ he said.
‘The more I see him, the more I think he’s not a Liverpool player.
Robbie Fowler laid into Darwin Nunez after he struggled to find the target for Liverpool today
Nunez has netted just once in his last 14 appearances for Arne Slot’s all-conquering Reds side
The 25-year-old missed two big chances from close range in the win over Accrington Stanley
‘People might have a go at me for saying this [because] he works hard. You’re not bringing in a player because he works hard. That should be a prerequisite anyway.
‘You’ve got to come in [and] score goals. And I know he’s a fan favourite for what he puts in but you’ve got to perform better and you’ve got to do better in that Liverpool shirt.’
There was one glaring error in particular that piqued the attention of pundits Fowler and Karen Carney, with the former Liverpool forward in particular critical of the Uruguayan’s finishing.
‘When you pay [£85million], you expect a bit more. Concentrate, hit the target,’ claimed Carney.
Fowler then added: ‘The worst you can do is hit it over the bar, you’ve got to make the keeper work.’
When asked why Nunez has struggled in front of goal for Liverpool, Fowler, who netted 171 in 330 games for the Reds, explained that his decision-making is too slow.
‘I don’t think he’s quick enough in his thought in terms of how he should be finishing,’ he added.
‘He’s quick on the ground, we know how quick he is, but when you are a striker, your speed of thought has got to be quicker than anyone else.
Nunez has scored just 37 goals in 121 appearances since joining Liverpool for £85m in 2022
‘When he has time to think about it, he struggles. I think his speed of thought as a striker… has got to improve.’
Nunez has scored just twice in the Premier League this season. The Uruguayan joined the Reds for a fee rising to £85million in the summer of 2022, but his time on Merseyside has been beset by struggles in front of goal.
Reports circled at the start of the month that potential suitors were lining up a deal for Nunez, with AC Milan particularly interested in a loan move.
Although it is still extremely early in the January transfer window and things can change, MailSport previously reported that it is unlikely Liverpool would permit Nunez a move away without having a replacement lined up.
This is particularly pertinent given they are well-placed in all four competitions they are in, with the Reds likely to face a hectic fixture schedule during the second half of the campaign.
Liverpool currently sit top of both the Premier League and Champions League – where they have already qualified automatically for the last-16 stage.
