Darwin Nunez shares the two-word message Klopp gave him in response to opposition fans’ taunts
Darwin Nunez has revealed the curt two-word message of advice that Jurgen Klopp gave him when it comes to dealing with taunts from opposition supporters.
Despite scoring 33 goals in his first two seasons at Liverpool, the striker has often had to contend with criticism from the media and heckling from fans of other clubs when he’s missed chances that he’d be reasonably expected to bury.
During our win at Nottingham Forest in early March, the Uruguayan was unceremoniously dubbed a ‘s*** Andy Carroll’ by the home crowd before he had the last laugh with a 99th-minute winning goal.
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Speaking to Por la Jersey (via Liverpool World), Nunez admitted he didn’t know what his detractors were signing and was told in no uncertain terms by Klopp to ignore the boo-boys.
The 24-year-old said: “In that game, the Nottingham fans were singing to me, but I didn’t understand anything, thank goodness. I ended up scoring the goal [in the final minute], and then the coach in the locker room said ‘screw them’.”
Having taken his time to grasp the English language since his arrival at Liverpool two years ago, and been a boy growing up in Uruguay at the time that another ponytailed number 9 in Carroll was playing for us, it’s unsurprising that the chant went over Nunez’s head.
However, he felt sufficiently scorned by criticism and abuse from some quarters to delete all Reds-related references from his Instagram profile earlier this month, though he’s since set his profile picture to show his family in LFC kit at Anfield after our final game of the season last Sunday.
While the 24-year-old has been culpable of some awful misses, and ended the campaign on a poor of run with just one goal in his final 13 appearances, he’s also had to put up with an excessive degree of scorn from pundits who can’t wait to stick the boot into him.
If he enjoys a prolific Copa America in the summer, that could be the jolt to restore his confidence and have him ready to truly catch fire once next season begins.
The criticism will probably still pour from the mouths of analysts and opposition fans, but Nunez has learned to block it out and focus solely on his football.
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