"Give me him over some others who stand around and do nothing" – Andy Townsend aims dig at Manchester United star while supporting Liverpool man
Ex-Chelsea star Andy Townsend has jumped to Liverpool attacker Darwin Nunez's defence, asserting that he will pick the Uruguayan over Manchester United forward Anthony Martial in the process.
Despite opening the ongoing 2023-24 season on a positive note, Nunez has lately come under scrutiny for his goal drought. The 24-year-old has failed to score in his last 10 club appearances this season.
Speaking recently on talkSPORT, Townsend claimed that he is fond of Nunez while also taking a dig at Manchester United's Martial. He said:
"I like him. I'm happy to go there and say it, I know there will be people saying, 'He doesn't get his numbers', and your numbers are everything as a striker. But do you know what? Give me him over some others who stand around and do nothing, like Anthony Martial, who stands around doing nothing."
Explaining his fondness for the Liverpool striker, Townsend continued:
"Darwin Nunez is permanently on the move, running 100 miles-an-hour everywhere. As a midfield player, when you've got a striker who is running hard and genuinely, really going flat out and that's the thing with him, he won't go half-hearted and turn around and look at you as you chip the ball over his head. He puts his head down and goes properly to give you half-a-chance to find him."
So far, Nunez has scored 22 goals and laid out 11 assists in 66 overall matches for the Reds. He is currently averaging a goal contribution for the Merseyside club at a rate of every 111 minutes of first-team action.
Alisson Becker comments on why Liverpool failed to beat Manchester United last week
Speaking to club media, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker stated that his side's lack of potency in the final third was a reason behind their recent 0-0 draw against Manchester United. He elaborated:
"Maybe we could improve in the creation phase in the last third of the pitch, creating better chances for ourselves, being more calm on the ball and making better choices. Sometimes we rushed a little bit."
Alisson, who kept his sixth shutout of the season last Sunday, added:
"Shooting balls that we could have passed to a player in a better position. But this is part of the game, we have to learn as quick as possible, as the season doesn't give you too much time to improve."
During their home league clash against Manchester United, Liverpool registered a staggering 34 shots and relished a possession of 68%.
Liverpool are second in the 2023-24 league table with 38 points from 17 matches, while Manchester United are now seventh with 28 points.