Liverpool’s “Insane” £140k-p/w Machine Can Terrorise Romero

Liverpool will be fully aware of the fragile state this Tottenham Hotspur side is in. The Lilywhites may well have battled back from two goals down against Manchester United, but they remain with just one win since early March.

With Ryan Mason now in the dugout, there are sure to be tactical limitations to his ability given his youth and inexperience in such a role. Jurgen Klopp will seek to exploit this today, in a clash where anything less than a win could hand further impetus back to Spurs as they enter the run-in.

The defensive failures of today’s visitors will be a particular point of interest, as somewhere that the German can exploit in front of a raucous Anfield atmosphere.

The support from the stands will likely play a big role not only to boost the hosts but to unnerve the visitors. Cristian Romero, in particular, is someone who could well feel the effects, should this famous stadium reach the levels it has shown it can do.

If so, it would help to employ an agent of chaos on the field to disrupt the centre back further. From within the Reds’ squad, few fit that bill as perfectly as Darwin Nunez.

Will Darwin Nunez start vs Spurs?

Lauded as a “handful” by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, the Uruguayan striker has endured a mixed debut season on Merseyside, filled with goals, cards and everything in between.

However, amongst all the unpredictability, he has actually become something of a fan favourite for his wacky yet often effective exploits; even without mentioning the 15 goals in all competitions that the £140k-per-week maverick already boasts.

Although the £85m paid in the summer might have been far too much money, the potential is clearly there that suggests one day this might not seem like such a ludicrous fee.

Willing to run all day and shoot whenever the opportunity presents itself, when compared to other strikers across Europe, the “insane” Nunez – as dubbed by journalist Casey Evans – actually stands up quite well. He ranks in the top 1% for total shots and non-penalty goals, as well as the top 6% for progressive carries, via FBref.

Given the rivalry he will seek to spark up with Spurs’ fellow South American defender, the 23-year-old could terrorise Romero with or without the ball at his feet.

Against Newcastle United, the Argentine failed to deal with numerous lofted balls in behind, scrambling to thwart the threat that Alexander Isak posed with little success. Now, with the improved quality of delivery from Virgil van Djik or Trent Alexander-Arnold to feed Nunez, this could be further exacerbated.

Although the former Benfica striker might have been relegated more recently to cameo appearances from the bench, there is arguably no better time to reinstate him into the starting lineup when his pace and physicality can prove so devastating for Spurs’ star centre-back.