“I made it clear to him” – Arne Slot’s detailed evaluation of Darwin Nunez at Liverpool

Arne Slot has expressed his confidence in Darwin Nunez, affirming that the striker remains an important player for Liverpool, despite recent frustrations. The Reds’ manager emphasized that Nunez’s value isn’t solely based on his goal tally. Although the 25-year-old has only scored three times this season, Slot has been impressed by his work ethic throughout the campaign.

Nunez missed multiple chances during Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Girona in Spain on Tuesday. The following morning, he took to social media to address the criticism surrounding his performances. However, Slot, who also confirmed that Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa could be back in contention for the Fulham match, praised Nunez’s overall contributions to the team.

When asked about Nunez’s frustration with his performance, Slot stated: “For me he has an impact. If you only look at goals, he hasn’t scored as many as he wants to score or we want a number nine to score.” He continued, “But he does have impact in his work rate and that’s not just to prevent the other team from making a chance, but also for us when we lose the ball to be aggressive and we can get the ball back and create chances.”

Slot highlighted that Nunez is part of a team that scores frequently and wins consistently, but acknowledged that, as a striker, he naturally wants to score more goals. He added, “I’m not only judging Mo (Salah) or Darwin on goals, I also judge on their work rate and what they bring to the team. That has been positive until now, except for us and him wanting to score more goals.”

The Liverpool manager also noted that Nunez’s desire to score could be amplified by the fans’ support, saying: “Maybe because the fans support him so much, he wants it almost too much, to score that goal for the fans and for himself.” He added that while Mo Salah currently doesn’t need as much fan support, it is the fans’ loyalty in times of difficulty that makes them special: “What I like about the fans is, they are not only supportive if it’s going really well but especially if he needs that support. That’s what makes our fans so special.”

While Slot admitted that Nunez’s performance in the last 30 minutes of the Girona match was not up to par, he emphasized the importance of supporting the striker when he isn’t scoring. He remarked: “When you miss the chances he did on Tuesday, everybody then needs an arm around you, whether it’s from a team-mate, from the fans or the manager.”

Slot made it clear that Nunez is evaluated not only on his goals but also on his contributions to the team’s overall performance. He stated, “He adds something to the team performance with his work rate, and how much he does for us winning the ball back high up the pitch.” He also expressed optimism, noting that Nunez might soon be scoring more frequently, saying: “Ideally he would have scored a few more goals but maybe in a few weeks you’ll ask me why Mo isn’t scoring anymore and Darwin is scoring every week.”

Slot concluded by acknowledging the nature of being a number nine, noting that scoring can be inconsistent. He said: “Sometimes you score, sometimes you don’t, but what should always be there is work rate and he has had that, apart from two games. First one against Las Palmas (in pre-season) and then the last half hour against Girona, wasn’t up to standards he should have and that was due to the disappointment he had after missing chances.”