Barnes: Nunez’s future depends on Iraola’s style at Liverpool

John Barnes said Darwin Nunez’s place at Anfield comes down to how Andoni Iraola wants his team to play. If Iraola favours a chaotic approach, Barnes said Nunez would fit; if not, he should not be brought back. He added that the situation is different without Jurgen Klopp, who might have wanted Nunez retained.

Barnes urged the club to back the new manager’s chosen style — quick, slow, chaotic or controlled — rather than cling to Klopp’s legacy. He also criticised Mo [Salah]’s remarks about “non-negotiables,” arguing the manager must be given the chance to pick players and a way of playing.

Using Mikel Arteta as an example, Barnes noted the benefits of patience — finishing eighth, eighth and then fifth after the hierarchy backed him. He warned that owners and executives rarely sack managers alone and that when fans lost faith in Arne Slot the decision followed.

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