Jurgen Klopp reckons that "there are a lot of similarities" between struggling Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez and his former No.9, Robert Lewandowski.
Lewandowski, now starring for Barcelona, was signed by Liverpool boss Klopp for Borussia Dortmund in 2010. The Pole initially found life difficult in the Bundesliga before becoming one of world football's most prolific marksmen over the next four seasons with the German giants and later, Bayern Munich.
It's the kind of turnaround which Klopp is backing his current striker, Nunez, to replicate.
"There are a lot of similarities to be honest. Yes, I think Lewy would tell the same story," the Liverpool manager declared.
"We had shooting sessions where he didn't finish off one. We had bets all the time for 10 euros – 'if you score more than 10 times I will pay you 10, if you don't you have to pay me'.
"My pocket was full of money. It's all about staying calm. When you see the potential, stay calm. It's so difficult in a world we are living in. Because of you (the media) asking and making a big fuss of everything, then the supporters, social media and all these kind of things the more you can shut off that, the better it is."
22-year-old Nunez joined the Reds from Benfica during the summer transfer window in a deal worth up to £85million, and he's scored a more than respectable nine goals in 19 games. But with the Uruguayan still being prone to missing big chances, such as the four he squandered in Liverpool's 3-1 win away to Aston Villa on Boxing Day - Klopp has faith that he'll soon find his shooting boots.
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"I think we all agree that the potential is so obvious. Is everything right? No," the Reds boss admitted." I think it's clear when you see the second chance, the big chance in the second half (against Villa) he can run a little bit on an angle and then he has a free choice, all these kind of things. But it is all coming. You do it like this, the next time you do it like that.
"I had this situation with Lewy but it is not only Lewy. He is the obvious comparison, I understand. It's just about staying calm and I am super calm. The team is calm as well, the team is completely convinced and that’s really cool. Let's hope we all, him included, stay healthy and then everything will be fine."
Klopp will certainly be hoping that Nunez delivers the goods on Friday when Liverpool welcome Leicester City to Anfield for their final game of a rollercoaster 2022. Having won two trophies, finished second in the Premier League and reached a Champions League final, the Reds are now just hoping to avoid being leapfrogged in the table by Brighton come the New Year.
"We are back to a top six or top seven, if you like, and only four can make it," Klopp added. "We know that absolutely. The quality of the opponents is obviously clear but most of the things we can still sort ourselves. If they win all the time we cannot get closer but we meet some of them and, for us, we are under pressure like other teams are under pressure because it's not the nicest thing to have us three or five points behind you.
"That doesn't give you any kind of security, but we better play a special second half of the season to have a chance to make it to the Champions League, which is obviously our target. Do we fight for one place? I couldn't care less actually, one of them will do."
