Jurgen Klopp believes Darwin Nunez is a "real threat in finishing situations" in his latest defence of the under pressure Liverpool striker.
Nunez, 23, was signed from Benfica in an £85million deal in June and is battling to live up to expectations. Although he's doing well - scoring seven goals in 15 games - Liverpool's poor start to the Premier League season has left many critics questioning the signing.
Liverpool are ninth in the table after winning just four of their first 12 league fixtures this term. They've suffered back-to-back defeats against relegation candidates Leeds and Nottingham Forest - and find themselves 15 points behind earlier leaders Arsenal.
Yet Klopp is happy with Nunez's progress. "Darwin is a real threat in the finishing situations," he said on Friday morning. "He is involved in everything, always an option to pass and cross to. He was involved in both goals on Tuesday, so he's making big steps."
Nunez scored another goal for the Reds in the 2-0 win against Napoli on Tuesday. Although Klopp's side are struggling in the Premier League, they've won five consecutive games in the Champions League - with Nunez at the forefront of their European challenge.
Nunez commanded a substantial transfer fee after scoring 34 goals last season for Benfica. Many Liverpool fans have copied Klopp by defending their expensive signing on social media, yet there will always be question marks over a big transfer if results are poor.
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The Uruguayan will also be feeling the pressure of being compared with Sadio Mane. The 30-year-old forward, who finished second in this year's Ballon d'Or vote, was an integral part of Klopp's side and helped them win six trophies - including the Premier League title.
Mane was sold to Bayern Munich in the summer, with Nunez replacing him as the team's centre-forward. The Senegal international didn't just provide 120 goals during his six-year spell, but his link-up play helped get the best out of Mohamed Salah and others.
Klopp will be hoping Nunez can produce a match-winning display against Tottenham on Sunday afternoon. The Reds have just two Premier League fixtures remaining before the World Cup starts this month and they need to make up some ground on the leaders.
"It's a massive game for us," added Klopp. "I didn't count the points difference between us, but we cannot be picky where we get points but it's difficult. They are well organised in defending. Counter-attack is a massive thing. You saw their offensive power.
"They have scored goals in the last minutes lately, so we are prepared for a confident, strong opponent... What I can say [is] I never once thought before going to Tottenham - 'now is a good time to face Tottenham'. It will be a tough one, but that's what we all want. It's like a Champions League game in the Premier League and that's how we'll approach it."
On Liverpool getting their form back, Klopp added: "Yes, we have to fight through this, we cannot play through it. You cannot say let's play through it without defending. Against Leeds, it could not have felt worse, but you get a win and bam."
