“He always looks off balance” - Alan Shearer names Liverpool star whose confidence is shot at the moment

Premier League legend Alan Shearer believes Liverpool star Darwin Nunez's confidence is shaken at the moment. Shearer's comments came after the Reds were held to a 2-2 away draw against Aston Villa in the Premier League this week.

Darwin Nunez did not start for the visitors on Wednesday, February 19, but came on as a substitute for Diogo Jota in the 66th minute. At that time, Liverpool were already drawing 2-2 with Trent Alexander-Arnold having equalized five minutes ago. However, Nunez failed to help the Reds gain three points as he missed a sitter.

This is not the first time the Uruguay international has been criticized for his finishing, which sparked debate about his lack of confidence in front of the goal.

In an interview on The Rest is Football YouTube channel, former Premier League legend Alan Shearer weighed in on Darwin Nunez's current form. He said (via TBR Football):

"You see him miss the number of chances that he does, unfortunately, for him and for Liverpool, but he’s never going to be a natural finisher. Yeah, very erratic. Very erratic.

"He never looks composed when he’s about to have his shot or confident, and he always looks off balance. I suppose when your confidence is shot, then you are off balance, I guess. But yeah, what an absolute sitter, unfortunately.”

Darwin Nunez has scored only six times in 35 outings for the Reds across competitions this season. Since joining Liverpool from Benfica in 2022, the Uruguayan's confidence in front of the goal has taken a hit.

The 25-year-old has scored only 39 times in 131 outings for the Merseysiders across competitions. These numbers are a clear decline when compared to his numbers from Benfica (2020-2022) - 48 goals in 85 outings across competitions.

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"He wasn't the usual Darwin" - Liverpool boss Arne Slot criticizes Darwin Nunez's attitude after crucial miss in draw vs Aston Villa

Darwin Nunez - Source: Getty

In a press conference on Thursday, Liverpool coach Arne Slot spoke about Darwin Nunez's open goal miss in their 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. The Dutchman said he could accept a player missing a chance but did not appreciate Nunez's attitude after it.

"I can accept every miss, especially from a player that has scored two very important goals against Brentford, that's scored for us in the home game against Villa. (...) But what was a bit harder for me to accept [was] his behaviour after that chance," Slot said.

"With behaviour I mean I think it got too much in his head where he wasn't the usual Darwin that works his [backside] off and makes sure he helps the team. It's not about the chance for me, it's more about the 20 minutes afterwards where I want to talk to him about than about him missing a chance," he added.

Liverpool will next face Manchester City in the Premier League at the Etihad on February 23. They will also find out their opponents in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 after the draw on February 21. The Reds will clash against either Benfica or Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).