September 20th 2024.
Darwin Nunez, the talented striker for Liverpool, has yet to make a start for the team this season. However, according to his coach Arne Slot, Nunez will have his chance to shine in the starting XI as long as he continues to work hard.
Nunez joined Liverpool in 2022 from Benfica in a high-profile deal worth up to £85 million. While he has scored 33 goals and made 17 assists in 100 appearances, he has also struggled with inconsistency and missed several key opportunities in the Premier League last season, placing him second only to Erling Haaland.
Under the new management of Arne Slot, Nunez seems to be lacking in trust as the coach has kept a consistent front-three of Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, and Luis Diaz in the league. Even when Diaz was replaced by Cody Gakpo in the recent Champions League win against AC Milan, Nunez was still not given a start, only playing a total of 84 minutes off the bench.
During a pre-match press conference before the upcoming game against Bournemouth, Slot was asked what Nunez needed to do to earn a spot in the starting lineup. He simply replied, "Same like all the others. Work really hard and then the goals will come." This echoes his belief that hard work and dedication will lead to success, as seen with Cody Gakpo's recent performance.
Slot also acknowledged that Nunez has been improving in terms of fitness and understanding the team's expectations, but he is currently in competition with Diogo Jota, who has been performing well in recent games. Despite this, Slot assures that Nunez will have his chance in the near future, especially with the busy schedule of games.
Many believed that Slot's coaching style would be more suitable for Nunez compared to his previous coach, Jurgen Klopp. However, this has not been the case so far. Nevertheless, Slot remains confident that Nunez will have his moment to shine, especially as he has returned from the Copa America with a boost of confidence and has a history of scoring goals in every team he has played for.
As Slot explains, "As long as he brings his work-rate in for the team and we bring him enough in positions, I'm 100 per cent sure he or Diogo or one of the others will score goals." It's clear that the coach values teamwork and hard work over individual success, and Nunez will have to continue to prove himself in order to earn a spot in the starting lineup.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
