After Liverpool lost 1-0 to Salzburg, manager Jurgen Klopp urged his team to encourage newcomer Darwin Nunez more.
In the first 45 minutes of Liverpool’s friendly match against the Austrian team, Nunez, a fellow newcomer, was joined in attack by Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott. The 23-year-old played for Liverpool.
By the hour mark, Liverpool had changed to a full-strength lineup, indicating Nunez might not start the season. Despite this, Liverpool was unable to get back into the game.
Nunez’s performance was very different from his four-goal performance against RB Leipzig the previous time he played, and Klopp made it clear that his new signing needs consistent backing.
“First half, we made too many mistakes which they could use. We had good moments as well, we could have scored in the whole game four, five goals at least. We didn’t do that,” Klopp told Liverpool’s club media after the match.
Sesko's first-half goal is enough for the hosts.#LFCPreSeason pic.twitter.com/bDcNXdhjEG
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 27, 2022
“Darwin was much too often alone. Everybody dropped, everybody was involved in the build-up but too wide, and we could only pass the ball to Darwin in the box.
“He had his moments and nearly scored, but he needs much more support around him. You keep other players busy that they cannot focus on him. So many things. In the second half, imagine now Darwin would have been there in the box, that could have helped as well. It is like it is – it doesn’t feel great, but we take it and go from here.”
Liverpool will now look ahead to the Community Shield clash against Manchester City on Saturday, with a final friendly against Strasbourg a day later, before their Premier League season commences on August 6 against Fulham.
