Arne Slot has expressed confidence that Darwin Nunez will soon find his form in front of goal and realize his full potential at Liverpool.
The £85m signing has netted just three times so far this season, and his performances in recent matches against Newcastle United and Girona have drawn some outside criticism.
Following the Reds’ win over Girona, Darwin Nunez hinted at the online criticism he has faced.
Aware of the pressure on his striker, Slot emphasised that Nunez will continue to receive opportunities as long as he maintains his hard work when selected.
However, the 25-year-old has been warned that, while scoring goals remains his primary task, he will soon face additional competition for a starting spot.
Diogo Jota, who began the season as Liverpool’s first-choice forward, is on track to return from injury, intensifying the battle for places in the attack.
“Yeah, that’s what we are expecting because we see his quality,” Slot replied when asked if he expects to eventually click for Nunez, as it once did for prolific Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez under the Dutchman’s watch. “For me, the fans do have a lot of love for him.
“Maybe, I don’t know, I heard something about social media, maybe he got a bit of criticism but he will probably not be the first player who gets criticism on social media!
“That is what happens if you miss one or two chances.
“Probably if we had lost the game, then it would be that my substitutions were not good and my line-up were not good… that is what social media is all about!
“It’s true, isn’t it? If you win, it’s all brilliant, if you lose it’s all s**t! But Darwin has shown already that he is a goalscorer. He is able to do so.
“It’s just, in my opinion, it is a matter of time before he starts to score. But he is in competition with Luis Diaz, who can play as a nine as well, and Diogo Jota, who is coming back.
“This is the challenge he also faces now. It’s not only him not scoring goals, it’s also the challenge of going in competition with a few others. But if he keeps working as hard as he does, then his chances will keep coming.
“Okay, it is clear that with Darwin we would like a few more goals from him, he would like a few more himself, but in every other part of the game I am really happy with him. I fully trust him (Nunez) that the goals will come.”
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