Darwin Nunez’s Liverpool teething problems revealed
Robin Bairner
- 20 Oct 2022 09:37 BST
- 3 min read
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits that Darwin Nunez has not had a trouble-free start at the club.
The Uruguay international bagged his first Anfield goal on Wednesday to give the Reds a 1-0 success over West Ham, with his glancing header in the first half the difference between the clubs.
Nunez also hit the post with a thunderous shot during the encounter but is regarded to have blown hot and cold following his €75 million move from Benfica in the summer.
He has come under fire for his poor decision making and, at times, clumsy technical ability, though he has quickly won over Liverpool fans because of his work rate and clear commitment to the cause.
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Nunez is homesick
Klopp has admitted that Nunez has had problems settling at the club but believes these are just temporary issues that will be ironed out within weeks.
“He’s young, he’s really young and has felt a little bit homesick, worrying and all these sorts of things so we have to make early changes, it’s fine we can do that,” the manager said.
Flop of the Season, eh? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/s8X0G4on9D
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) October 20, 2022
"Of course the goal is important. He’s scored a couple of times in the last few games so he’s obviously arrived 100%, now with numbers. It’s fine.
"I expect him to put them in the back of the net. It’s just like he is an exceptional talent, we can see that, the runs, the physicality, the speed, the finishing skills are exceptional, he has a good technique but doesn’t use them all the time.
"Sometimes he’s in a rush so the first contact goes away a little bit but as with everything there, we’re really excited but most of the time when you’re young you have time to develop, we’re working on it."
Klopp also revealed why the 23-year-old was taken off early.
“He felt a little bit of muscle at half-time but it's all fine,” Klopp added. “After five minutes, I was just too concerned about the long sprints for him when he stretched his leg.
“I thought, ‘Come on, we cannot take that risk.’ That’s why we changed. I think we caught him in the right moment.”
Nunez has now played 12 games for Liverpool and has scored five goals.
