"It's not a league for boys" - Newcastle star Callum Wilson offers opinion on Darwin Nunez amid his struggles at Liverpool
Newcastle United ace Callum Wilson has urged Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez to be patient, saying that it's natural to take time to adapt to the Premier League.
Nunez joined Liverpool last summer for an astronomical €80 million fee. The former Benfica striker has struggled to find his footing in the Premier League, scoring only five times in 15 appearances. To exacerbate matters, Nunez has missed a whopping 16 big chances, more than anyone else in the division.
@Darwinn99 Nunez again😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/0WWUzzzMNx
The Uruguayan has faced relentless criticism over his lackluster finishing on social media.
Wilson, though, has urged Nunez to be persistent, giving himself time to adapt and trying to turn a blind eye to provocative memes. Giving his take on Nunez’s struggles, Wilson said on the BBC's The Footballer's Football Podcast:
“He is young; he's 23 years old; he has just come to the Premier League which is a difficult league. It's not a league for boys; it's a league for men, and at the end of the day, he's come from a league, which is a little bit different."
He continued:
“It's going to take him time to adapt. But there's obviously no chill on social media, so any little thing that happens is becoming a big thing, and he’s going to see that; he’s going to be sent that (meme), and he’s going to see people laughing at that. And then it just makes you go more and more inward, especially at that age.”
The Newcastle United centre-forward continued:
“He seems like a vibrant guy, like a no-nonsense kind of guy, so he just has to stick his chest out and keep going. If you miss the chances, so what. As long as you are in position to make those chances, you're not going to keep missing. The clinical finishing will come over time after he's playing more regularly, and he’s played in this league for a little while.”
Ronald Koeman explains Cody Gakpo's tough start at Liverpool
Liverpool splurged an initial €42 million to sign Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven in the January transfer window. The Dutch forward, who scored three times in five games at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, has struggled to express himself in England, often looking clueless about his positioning.
Sancho has been out for 3 months and has already scored a goal before Gakpo and Mudryk. https://t.co/K7YocYHMWm
Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman has offered his opinion on Gakpo’s patchy run of form, speculating that his move to a club of Liverpool’s pedigree came too early:
"He has ended up in a team that is not doing well," Koeman said (via the BBC). "If you don't score or you're not important, and you don't win any matches, it's very difficult, especially for a young player. If that was someone aged 28, with experience, it would be different."
Gakpo has featured in six games for Liverpool since arriving from PSV but has failed to record a goal contribution. He scored 13 goals and provided 17 assists in 24 games for PSV in the first half of the ongoing season.