Darwin Nunez is confident he will ‘explode’ onto the scene at Liverpool, just like his hero Luis Suarez, after a ‘difficult’ start to life at Anfield.
The striker has opened up on his first seven months as a Red and his hunger to succeed, as well as the challenges of the language barrier and the teammates he has leaned on for advice… and translations.
Nunez has ten goals and three assists in 25 games for Liverpool – not bad, but it could be more
In many ways, Nunez has already exploded onto the scene on Merseyside, just not in the way he, Klopp or the club would have wanted after his £85million arrival from Benfica in June.
Within his first three games for the club, he had scored two goals and provided one assist, but also missed countless other chances, and earned a three-match ban for a red card.
Liverpool fans have begun to refer to Nunez as ‘our chaos man’, in an affectionate way, which can be used in both praise and frustration.
There is no doubt about his talent and physical gifts of pace, strength, and tenacity, but there is also no doubt he is still very much a raw, unpolished gem who still has a lot of work to do to really harness his potential.
That being said, he is fascinating to watch, and any game featuring Nunez is guaranteed entertainment.
However, for Reds fans it can also be a frustrating experience, and surely the same can be said for Klopp, with Nunez revealing the words of wisdom from his coach to improve one area of his game that definitely needs some work – his finishing.
Klopp has backed Nunez despite his struggles in front of goal and criticism over his end product
“I think he wants to see what he saw in Benfica,” Nunez told Sky Sports when asked what Klopp wants from him, ahead of a possible return to action in Saturday’s Premier League clash with Wolves – LIVE on talkSPORT.
“For example in the games I played against Liverpool, 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.
“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 has told me that I have to be calm in games when it comes to finishing. He wants me to take a second longer, because if I shoot with anger, or I rush it, then it will always go badly. He asks me to take an extra second, with calmness, and I will score.”
Nunez’s stats this season are indicative of the weaknesses of his game, but also the potential for him to be one of the Premier League’s most devastating strikers.
Nunez’s Premier League stats this season
Opta Stats say he has missed more big chances than anyone else in the Premier League this season, but he has also been denied by the woodwork more times too – highlighting the narrow margins that have stopped him from increasing his current tally of ten goals.
He also ranks first in the Premier League for total shots, shots on target and fast attacking breaks, while he ranks second for touches in the opposition box and expected goals from open play.
There is a feeling that, when it clicks, Nunez could tear up the place – similarly to Suarez who lit up Anfield after a comparatively quiet first season as a Liverpool player.
And the 23-year-old is confident he can emulate his countryman and ‘idol’, having experienced the same before his 34-goal season at Benfica which led to his Liverpool move.
“It is a case of adapting,” says Nunez. “Adapting is important – and not only here at the club. Things have to be good on the football side, but also with your family, because if your family is OK, then you will always be OK. My family and I are good.
Suarez took time before he hit his stride at Liverpool, and the same patience might be needed with Uruguayan Nunez
“Obviously, I still have many things to work on, for example my finishing. But I think the same thing is happening to me as happened to Suarez. In his second year, he tore it up.
“Something similar happened to me already at Benfica. The first year went very badly for me and in the second, I exploded.
“Here, I think the same thing is happening. I hope next season will be like that. I’ll put my best forward and hopefully I’ll get a bit of luck.
“It’s always helpful to speak with Suarez. For me, he is an idol. He is a great example.
“We are always talking and he is always giving me advice. I always try to keep in touch with him. I ask him a lot of things because he was at this club and he has a lot more experience than me. He is an important player to give me advice and explain things to me.”
Speaking of explaining things, Nunez admitted he and Klopp struggle to communicate due to the language barrier, but his Spanish-speaking teammates and No.2 Pep Lijnders help ensure he gets the manager’s message.
Klopp is a big fan of Nunez… despite not being able to chat with him properly
He also concedes he was shocked by the step up from the Portuguese top flight to the Premier League, despite a word of warning from a Benfica teammate and ex-Man City star.
“It’s a very big change,” Nunez explains. “Here, the league is stronger, more competitive. I didn’t expect it to be so strong. Nico Otamendi told me that, but I still didn’t expect it.
“It has impressed me a lot. There are no bad teams. They are all in this league for a reason. The football is more difficult than in Portugal and more competitive. You don’t get much time.
“I think after those first few months of adaption, things began improving. I feel at home. I feel happy. When I come in, I look forward to training because, luckily, I have people here who speak Spanish.
“They have supported me really well and they are still supporting me today. That’s what we are here to do. We are a team. If we can help each other, that’s a good thing.
Nunez says his Spanish-speaking teammates have helped him adjust to life at Liverpool
“My teammates who speak Spanish are always translating because I still don’t understand a lot of things,” he smiles.
“But watch out, because I am taking English classes. I hope that, in a year and a half, minimum, I will be able to understand everything.
“He [Klopp] doesn’t speak Spanish and I don’t speak English, so we don’t understand each other, but ever since I arrived at Liverpool, he has always given me confidence.”
And the striker picked out Thiago Alcantara, Alisson Becker and Fabinho as the players he has leaned on most since his arrival, saying: “They are always giving me advice and they are always there to help with whatever I need.”
source: talksport.com
