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Liverpool star James Milner provided an insight into newly-signed Darwin Nunez after the Reds' 3-1 Premier League home win against Southampton on Saturday, 12 November.
Nunez scored a brace (21', 42') during the game. Roberto Firmino opened the scoring for Jurgen Klopp's side (6') before Che Adams equalized for the visitors (9').
Nunez had a sluggish start to his career at Anfield after a €64 million (potentially rising up to €85 million) move from Benfica.
However, the Uruguayan has found his feet and is slowly turning out to be a constant attacking threat for the Reds.
Speaking about the attacker, Milner told Liverpool's official website after the game (via HITC):
“Just watching him in training and his attributes, his willingness to work for the team, he is obviously great in the air, a big presence, great strike with both feet, he hits it early, wants to score goals. He is a different type of striker to the other guys up there and that’s obviously great for us as a squad to have these players who all have different attributes.”
Nunez has now scored nine goals and provided two assists for the Reds in 18 games. He is set to star for Uruguay in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Nunez should be a starter in the attack alongside Luis Suarez.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp spoke about Darwin Nunez's performance against Southampton
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp spoke about his strategy and assessed Darwin Nunez's performance against Southampton as he told the media after the game (via the club's official website):
The first half was really good and the second half is not a half where we win the football Oscar for us. We made a lot of mistakes in the second half. First half was really good. So, we did everything what Southampton didn't want us to do, let me say it like this. So, used the speed of Mo and Darwin, we used the spaces we create with the speed in between the lines, we used our football skills."
He added:
"The goals how we set it up. So, the first was a set-piece - but then [a] sensational pass from Harvey but the movement from Darwin [was] really important. So, how we said, in the system we play Darwin has to defend the left wing, we cannot change that, but when he's offensive, then it's only for balls in behind the wing [he] might be in position, but in all situations he has to be in the centre.
"That's where he was in that moment with the third goal as well. So, great play. And that was the main problem actually that we didn't do that in the second half anymore. I think the first ball we played in behind in the second half, that's it."
Nunez had three shots on target, of which two ended up as goals. However, his passing accuracy was 72 percent and he managed just two good crosses. So, there is certainly room for improvement.
Liverpool, as a whole, saw a clear dip in their game in the second half, as they had no shots on target in that period of the game, compared to seven in the first half. That's what the manager seems worried about.
