Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez has admitted that he doesn’t think he’s playing well at the moment.
Nunez has come under-fire for some wasteful finishing in-front of goal for Liverpool this season. And speaking to Sky Sports this afternoon, the Uruguayan said he knows Jurgen Klopp wants to see more from him.
“I think he [Klopp] wants to see what he saw in Benfica,” Nunez admitted. “For example in the games I played against Liverpool [in the Champions League last season], when I performed very well.
“I don’t think I’m playing well at the moment, but I always want to improve. I try to improve every day.”
Nunez also spoke about how Klopp has been helping him through a tough period at Liverpool. The Reds boss has been giving his player plenty of pointers on how to get better.
“Klopp knows my strength is my speed, running into space. Also, he tells me that I need to be more calm when I’m playing, and that I need to move more. He tells me that I need that, and that I am a player with a lot of quality. So, that’s more or less what he wants from me – and, of course, that I score goals,” he explained.
Plenty to be encouraged by with Darwin
In some ways, it’s a little bit heart-breaking to hear this from Nunez. The Uruguay international has actually been playing well, he just hasn’t been playing quite well enough.
That Liverpool have become overly reliant on him to look a threat in-front of goal isn’t really his fault.
Already struggling to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League from Portugal, Nunez has had to contend with a well-oiled Liverpool machine falling into disrepair.
Someone should point out to him that without him Liverpool wouldn’t be worth watching at all. Darwin certainly has flaws in his game, but his raw pace and unpredictability has brought many otherwise dull Reds game to life.
Obviously there are things to work on, though. His finishing is certainly something that needs some attention on the training ground. But here’s the thing, that can be trained. You can coach a striker with his tools how to stick the ball in the net. It’s much more difficult if not impossible to coach his pace, movement and athleticism.
So, Liverpool will stick with Darwin, as they should. There is plenty about the 23-year-old to like. It’s encouraging that he recognises the need to improve, and surely he will. But he also shouldn’t be so hard on himself. In a season of disappointment, Nunez has been a shining light of hope.