Darwin Nunez has received more than his fair share of criticism since joining Liverpool in the summer.The fact he was signed for a club-record £85 million fee wasnât his fault, but it was always going to pile huge pressure on his shoulders to hit the ground running.Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp kept things in perspective when Nunez was already being mocked by rival fans on social media after just 75 minutes of pre-season action.âIâm not worried at all,â Klopp told ESPN after his side suffered a 4-0 defeat against rivals Manchester United. âThe general judgement [on Nunez] is absolutely nil interest [to us]. It will be like this, and we all know it.âItâs kind of a game or a joke for some people to pick out some situations where a playerâs not doing well. Thatâs only a game from [fans of] other clubs, which is normal. Our fans probably do [the same] with signings of Manchester United. We cannot take this seriously.âBANGKOK, THAILAND - JULY 12: Darwin Nunez #27 of Liverpool looks on during the second half of a preseason friendly match against Manchester United at Rajamangala National Stadium on July 12, 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo by Pakawich Damrongkiattisak/Getty Images)Nunez went on to score against Manchester City in the Community Shield and again a week later against Fulham on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.But he let himself down in the following match with a headbutt against Crystal Palaceâs Joachim Andersen, resulting in a three-match suspension.LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 15: Joachim Andersen of Crystal Palace is consoled by Marc Guehi after a challenge which resulted in a red card for Darwin Nunez (27) of Liverpool as the referee speaks to him before sending him off (back left) during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Crystal Palace at Anfield on August 15, 2022 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)In six appearances for the Reds so far, Nunez has scored two goals.He was being compared to Erling Haaland prior to the start of the campaign, but the formidable Norwegian centre-forward already has a remarkable 14 goals in 10 games for Man City.Klopp will be hoping that Nunez can rediscover some form and confidence with Uruguay, who face Iran and Canada during the current international break, before returning to Anfield.But one clip - filmed by someone on the touchline - has gone viral on social media, with rival fans once again having fun at Nunezâs expense.
Video: Darwin Nunez clip from Uruguay training goes viral
Watch the clip here:
You can imagine the reaction. Within eight hours, one tweet had already amassed over 5,000 retweets, been âlikedâ 39,000 times and attracted thousands of comments.
Of course it was a poor attempted cross but many other top players have surely done the same - and, indeed, worse - in training sessions.
What matters is what Nunez does on the pitch during competitive matches.
We saw his qualities in a Benfica shirt and thereâs no reason why the 23-year-old wonât replicate those performances for Liverpool and Uruguay over the coming months.
Those writing him off already may eventually end up eating their words.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 03: Darwin Nunez of Liverpool in action during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC at Goodison Park on September 03, 2022 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
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