Slot: I have full confidence in Darwin

Arne Slot says that Darwin Nunez will get plenty of opportunities to display his talents this season.

To date, the Uruguayan striker has made four appearances totalling 85 minutes this season and against Ipswich he was an unused substitute.

Nunez’s midweek appearance against AC Milan was his 100th for the Reds where he has scored 33 goals in all competitions along with 16 assists.

There has been a prevailing view amongst the fanbase that this season his third at the club, is what you would call  ‘make or break’ for the 25 year-old who cost a club record fee of £85 million.

At his best he is shown that he can be a true menace for opposition defenders and produce some wonderful moments of individual skill.

Conversely when down on confidence, Nunez seemingly struggles to do the basics which then begs the question whether he has what it takes to make it at Liverpool.

But as we have already seen this season, there is a shining example of a player in Ryan Gravenberch who during last campaign looked a player that just did not fit the Liverpool system.

But a new manager has given the Dutchman a defined role and the midfielder has quickly turned into one of the more important and impressive players in the early stages of this campaign.

Speaking ahead of todays clash with Bournemouth at Anfield (per the Mirror), Slot believes now is the not the time to make a full judgment on him.

“It’s always difficult because players, but also the media, only think you have confidence in a player if you play him.

“We have confidence in all of them, otherwise you don’t bring a player in if you’re 3-1 up half-an-hour before the end or last week against Nottingham Forest, he came on half-an-hour before the end.

“There’s a lot of confidence in him. But there are two players for that position and I could even come up with more, who could play in that position. He’s in competition with Diogo, who’s done really well. But many games have to be played and there will be enough time to judge Darwin, if he improves and how he improves and if he can do special things for the club.”

"I think Diogo is a bit more a striker that can also go into the midfield and play as a false nine or a nine-and-a-half, where Darwin is more the target man that finishes off a good attack.

"There's not one type I prefer. It always depends. I like to play a certain style of football, high pressing, dominating, creating as much chances as we can, scoring a lot of goals, not conceding a lot - I think that goes for every manager! We want to have the ball a lot."

After starring in Uruguay’s Copa America campaign in the summer with five goals, it would have been fair to think that Nunez could carry that form over into the new season.

But Slot is adamant that the lack of game time has not dented his confidence.

“He came back from the Copa America with a lot of confidence, Darwin always has confidence and he has every right to have this confidence because everywhere he’s played, he’s always scored goals.

“Sometimes as a striker, you have a few games where you don’t score goals, then all of a sudden, you score a lot. So as long as he brings his work rate for the team, I’m 100 per cent convinced he will score. He will get his chance in the near future, we play a lot of games.”