JURGEN KLOPP has spoken out after Liverpool’s pre-season defeat to Manchester United

Jurgen Klopp has already outlined that a timeframe for how long it could take Darwin Nunez to adapt to playing for Liverpool after the £85million man’s underwhelming debut against Manchester United. The Uruguayan striker missed a golden chance in the pre-season exhibition match, which was won 4-0 by the Red Devils in BangkokDespite Klopp fielding a young team, the Reds were defeated by their fierce rivals in the friendly match, but supporters got to see Nunez for the first time after he joined from FC Porto for a club record amount earlier this summer. After a reserved performance, Klopp was compelled to defend his new star player.

“What you could see is the boys were immediately searching for him,” remarked Klopp after the game. After the third sprint, I believe his lungs were about to blow up. It was his third session [since arriving for preseason training]. We came very close to killing him with these balls, but one of his strengths was that he offered the runs and the boys wanted to pass the ball. He was risky in all these different ways.

Darwin, let’s wait and see. I believe his profile is a proper nine, which helps with his quickness, ferocity, and use of his body, among other things.

The 23-year-old must be given time to acclimate to the tactical demands that playing for a Klopp team brings, something that Klopp himself alluded to shortly after Fabinho’s arrival back in 2018. Klopp was keen to emphasize that Nunez was still adjusting to the physical demands of playing for Liverpool.

“It’s a football squad with a unique manner of playing,” remarked Klopp at the time. They were all accustomed to different football teams, and it takes time. Consequently, a team has natural runners. Let me give you an example: Coutinho was a pretty well-known movement here. Nice shot! Half left, [cut] inside. For this one, you required someone to overlap and make it challenging to  ensuring that at least one defender is occupied. That sort of thing explains it. It’s entirely typical.

“There is no time to promise that something will occur. The game needs to become natural because it is so fast-paced and intense. We want these players’ football personalities, not to alter them. Because of what they done.