Darwin Nunez has struggled for form this season and has been left on the bench in recent weeks – and it seems Jurgen Klopp’s warning about the Liverpool striker’s confidence has come to fruition
Darwin Nunez has struggled for form this season and has been left on the bench in recent weeks – and it seems Jurgen Klopp’s warning about the Liverpool striker’s confidence has come to fruition Darwin Nunez has struggled for form this season and has been left on the bench in recent weeks – and it seems Jurgen Klopp’s warning about the Liverpool striker’s confidence has come to fruition
Jurgen Klopp once expressed how it was his duty as manager to instil confidence in Darwin Nunez – and given his goalscoring difficulties for Liverpool, Arne Slot has a job on his hands with the striker.
Ex-Reds boss Klopp brought the Uruguayan on board in the summer of 2022 in a deal worth up to £85m, and the German reportedly acknowledged how it would be his job as manager to boost the striker’s confidence to spearhead the team’s attack at a club as prestigious as Liverpool.
However, Nunez found it challenging to replicate his Benfica success during his initial two seasons in Merseyside, with his self-assurance seemingly at an all-time low in his third season and first under new manager Arne Slot.
The 25-year-old has only managed to net four goals in 23 matches this season and has recently been relegated to the bench due to Diogo Jota’s fitness return, Luis Diaz’s stellar performance in the centre and Cody Gakpo’s impressive form – not to mention, star talisman Mohamed Salah has continued churning out world-class output.
As for Nunez’s predicament, The Times reported in 2024 that Klopp personally advocated for the signing as Roberto Firmino’s long-term successor, supposedly going against the board’s preference for Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku, formerly of RB Leipzig.
Klopp reportedly stated that it was his duty to fill Nunez with the confidence to perform – a responsibility that now falls heavily on Slot’s shoulders as he attempts to restore Nunez’s belief amidst the Premier League title race and charge to claim multiple pieces of silverware this season, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The Dutch gaffer was left pondering if his striker’s failed attempts during Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over Girona last month were a result of dwindling confidence. “What I can agree on is that he missed a few chances,” Slot conceded in the post-game media briefing.
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“Then it’s always the question: does this have anything to do with low confidence, or is this a situation where he’s in at the moment? I think every striker all around the world has periods where every ball goes in, and sometimes he has a period where you try so hard but you’re not able to score.
“The good thing is that we have many players that can score for us – today Mo [Salah] again. I would have loved to see Darwin score because I think every striker wants to score [and] needs goals – that’s why I kept him in for quite a long time. He was a threat but unfortunately, he couldn’t score.”
Eyes now turn to Nunez, who’s likely to warm the bench in today’s clash with Manchester United (January 5). The fixture was initially at risk due to heavy snowfall but Liverpool have since confirmed the game will go on as planned after a safety meeting.
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