Jurgen Klopp believes Darwin Nunez is still adapting to life at Liverpool and has tipped the "machine” to have a long Anfield future.
Following in the footsteps of Sadio Mane was always going to be an unenviable task, with his whopping transfer fee only adding to the pressure. And while the Uruguayan forward has shown flashes of his precocious talent, there is still plenty to do for him to realise his true potential.
In total, he has a very respectable 15 goals in all competitions, but has often failed to make an impact in some of their biggest clashes. But Klopp believes there are plenty of factors to explain his patchy performances, including his lack of English serving as a barrier between him and his teammates.
“Darwin is a player with a different skill set to all our other players. He is a machine.
“He is still adapting. His English is still not great. How can a striker shine when the team is struggling? But he has had super moments.”
The Reds boss also suggested it was unfair to make any long lasting verdicts on the 23-year-old, coming into a struggling side who are still adapting to a new style of system with him at the head.
Klopp added: "He's a centre forward but we need a specific set-up to play and defend from the centre but we have to understand as a team [to defend from the centre]. We've had to adapt to different defenders and strikers up front, that's how it is.”
Nevertheless, for all of his patience, Klopp has made it clear that Nunez must improve on his English as he continues to settle on Merseyside. “It's about fine tuning and that is what we're doing,” Klopp said of the forward’s integration into the team.
“After this season there is another and that is already on my mind now. Maybe we can learn some things to use now, that's how I see it. He can play both, absolutely. He has to learn English. That will help massively.”
Nunez scored his first Premier League goal in five appearances during the rout over Leeds, but was only given a very short cameo at the end of the 6-1 victory at Elland Road. And Klopp accepts that his big summer signing isn’t entirely content with the role of a super-sub.
“I understand Darwin is not always fine when he doesn't start, smiling in my face, but it's absolutely fine,” said Klopp. “When we have five to six players up front, I have to make decisions. The door is miles open for all the boys. He was exceptional (vs Leeds). Everyone who came on was on fire.”
The chances of Nunez starting against Nottingham Forest this weekend have been boosted though, with Roberto Firmino ruled out. Liverpool know they need all three points to keep their faint top-four hopes alive, while Forest need a result to boost their own survival ambitions.
