Liverpool head coach Arne Slot believes his side are finally starting to get the best out of Darwin Nunez, having learned a more effective way to play with a number nine.
The Uruguay international impressed with his work rate and all-round contribution in Thursday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg win over Tottenham, despite not really having a genuine goal-scoring chance.
Nunez has alternated with Diogo Jota in the central attacking role, while winger Luis Diaz has been deployed as a false nine on a number of occasions.
Jota is likely to get the nod to start against Championship bottom side Plymouth in the FA Cup as he needs minutes after coming off the bench late on against Spurs, having missed four matches with another injury and been an unused substitute at Bournemouth last weekend.
However, Nunez’s progress offers hope he can still have a long-term future at the club and Slot thinks that is down to a greater understanding of what he wants from a striker.
“I think in general we used the number nine better and better than we maybe did in the beginning of the season,” he said.
“That is the positive thing of playing more games, training more together and having more meetings together – you can highlight that a bit more as well.
“I think in the beginning of the season we were quite dependent on our wingers, but I see that we are starting to use our nine more and more in situations that we have to use him.
“As a result of that these players come in promising positions and they have just as much quality as our wingers.
“So, if you put Jota in a promising position or if Lucho (Diaz) plays there or Darwin, they will give you what we are all hoping for and that’s goals and assists.”
Slot is expected to make numerous changes for the trip to Devon, with the final Merseyside derby hosted at Goodison Park to come on Wednesday.
The Championship outfit’s win last weekend may have been only their second since early November, but the Liverpool head coach is wary his team selection may, inadvertently, make his side’s task harder.
That was the case for the Reds’ final Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven in which a second string team went down to only the club’s third defeat all season.
“It’s always a tricky tie no matter what team you play because it’s an away game, it’s their final probably – as it is many times when Liverpool comes anywhere,” Slot added.
“But it is true that if you play with a team that hasn’t played so much together that is always for the players a bit more difficult.
“But I think we’ve seen already a few times when we played with a team that hasn’t played already together – even in Eindhoven in the Champions League – these players were able to play a very good game.
“It’s important in these moments for some players that don’t get playing time to have their playing time, so whenever we need them they are ready.
“If you never play them then it’s so difficult for them to be ready if we do get some injuries or suspensions.”
