The big Twitter accounts are onto something. Share a clip, no matter how trivial, unimportant or insignificant about Darwin Nunez, and include a caption about how awful it is, and watch the numbers go up.
It was a social media technique that was born in the summer during Liverpool’s pre-season friendlies and, despite the Uruguayan barely playing for us, mainly due to a three-match suspension, it hasn’t stopped pranksters from looking for whatever rope they can to hang it on.
The last thing, you will have seen, is a center above Uruguay. It got 11 million views and really thousands of publicly abusive comments, not only from rivals, but also from idiotic Liverpool fans; about how he defined Núñez’s ability.
So much interaction has received this topic out of nowhere, big media like ESPN now talk about it because they know it draws attention. Get in the car. This is what has caused such a stir, by the way:
I honestly can’t wait for this guy to turn good. I’ve never seen a player harassed like Nunez based on 3 second training clips in my life – it’s just plain weird. https://t.co/2uqm86PnLs
— Jordan Chamberlain (@Jordan_AC90) September 21, 2022
Of course, many footballers are abused online. It is awful. It’s normal, unfortunately. But it is very rare that someone is attacked before they have played football properly. Nunez has amassed 176 minutes of Premier League football so far. That’s less than two full games.
Unfortunately, the boy reads everything. It can be said that he does so because he offers thinly veiled answers, which are also attacked. If I were his advisor right now, he would hand over his social media to an outside company and delete it from his phone. It’s not easy for a 23-year-old, of course. He would say why should I? Maybe that’s a fair point.
Núñez was bought with a purpose. To score goals. And judging by the positions he has held for Liverpool so far, he is going to score them. His finish has been poor. He has rushed things. He has tried too hard. He loves him so much that he hasn’t put himself together in great moments. It’s impossible to judge how much this has to do with the online attention he’s getting, but let’s put it this way; he’s not going to help, is he?
Fortunately, the fans on the ground have fully supported Nunez. And they are the ones you should listen to. Next time we play, against Brighton at Anfield, we hope the striker gets a chance to show what he has learned so far.
And with this ruthless, sometimes downright nasty trolling, Nuñez’s success will feel even more incredible. Every goal will be more celebrated, by him and by us, and every victory will make the idiotic attempts to judge him based on a poor result in training even more foolish.
It will happen Núñez will be very good for Liverpool, once the team has adapted to him and he has adapted to us. And once our world-class players start performing the way they’re capable of.
This long break will do everyone good, even though many are now on international duty.
Ibrahima Konate is back, Jordan Henderson is back, and Andy Robertson won’t be out for long. Caoimhin Kelleher is training, as is new signing Calvin Ramsay and, provided nothing goes terribly wrong on international duty, our early season injury crisis is coming to an end.
We are going to support Núñez, completely. Even if he plays horribly for the next ten games. Fans need support. Give the boy a chance. He is good. Jurgen Klopp thinks he does, anyway, which should be enough for any of us. He will be fine. He be patient.
