Darwin Nunez has admitted to not yet feeling “completely confident” at Liverpool but he knows that the goals will come, just like ketchup.
Nunez made only his third start of the season against Rangers and while it wasn’t to end with his third goal of the campaign, he had his fair share of chances.
He offered another look at what is still to come, with instinctive shots on goal and well-timed runs behind the defence – but he does certainly appear to be a player who thrives on confidence.
And after Tuesday’s match he conceded that he still doesn’t “feel completely confident,” he feeds off those around him to “stay calm” as he continues to adjust to his new surroundings.
Nunez senses the goals will come, though, and even used a ketchup analogy for how he sees his situation in front of goal – you just hope for him and Liverpool they start trickling in soon.
“Sometimes I feel a little indecisive, I don’t feel completely confident. But as time goes on, it gets better,” he admitted to TNT Sports, as translated by ESPN Brasil.
“The coach always gives me confidence, like Pep and Vitor, who are the ones who always translate for us. He gives me confidence.
“And also my companions, who always talk to me, tell me to stay calm.
“When they talk, I feel calmer because I know that if I do something wrong, they will always support me. And I will also always be here to support them, it’s a very united group.
“I have to show my game to the coach and be calmer when it’s time to shoot. The goal will come. It’s like ketchup, when it comes out a little, it all comes out.”
Not sure if we’ve heard that exactly analogy before.
A big part of Nunez’s adjustment to life at Liverpool is the language, Pep Lijnders and Vitor Matos have been instrumental in their translating duties thus far, as too have Thiago and fellow teammates.
During Jurgen Klopp‘s team meetings, though, Nunez doesn’t currently “understand anything” directly from the manager – which is completely understandable but not always ideal.
“The truth is, I honestly don’t understand anything when he talks in meetings,” Nunez said.
“Of course, I ask my teammates to see what he said, but I think he is very clear about his style of play.
“He asks us to do the simple things, not to be afraid to play games, to have confidence. And when he loses a ball, he wants us to put pressure on him.
“That’s what he always asks us.”