Van Dijk Backs Nunez Amidst Social Media Criticism
11 months ago 2 min read
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Liverpool captain, Virgil Van Dijk, has urged Darwin Nunez to stay calm after ending his goal drought against Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Uruguayan forward has endured a turbulent time since joining the club in a big-money move as he struggles for form and consistency.
He scored his first goal in 15 matches for the club after he was subjected to criticisms online that made him delete every Liverpool-related picture on his social media accounts.
Van Dijk has urged him to remain focused and continue to deliver for the team.
He said: “For him, coming into a club like Liverpool with the price tag (a potential £85 million – $113 million – club record) there is always going to be pressure to produce week in, week out and he is trying to do that but it is not always that easy.
“Now it is time for him to stay calm and I think, in my opinion, he has been doing that much better and the manager is busy with him a lot and us as players and we just have to keep him close to us and keep going.
“He started (against Bournemouth) but he might not start the next game and we want him to be consistent and keep doing it and doing it when he comes on and when he starts.
“That’s the main thing – don’t get dragged into the positivity and then the low of the negativity or you will be dizzy at a certain point.
“Consistency is the key. I think he shouldn’t get carried away – but he won’t – and now is the time for him to recover and focus on the next opportunity he gets. That’s football.”
Nunez will be hoping to get another chance to impress new coach, Arne Slot when Liverpool takes on West Ham on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup.
