Liverpool star Darwin Nunez shifted his Instagram account to private after another flurry of social media attacks towards the player. The Reds surprisingly lost the Premier League game against Nottingham Forest at Anfield after a 72nd-minute goal from Callum Hudson-Odoi.
The goal came after Nunez lost the ball in the opposition’s half but involved poor defending from many Liverpool players. However, a huge section of football followers including some Liverpool fans are continuously after the Uruguayan, seeking every minor mistake.
The hate-filled rhetoric made the 25-year-old block many accounts and delete pictures related to Liverpool on his Instagram last season. While the Uruguay international deserves some healthy criticism like any player who underperforms, this flurry of attacks is intentionally malicious.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has used Diogo Jota as the main striker in the first five games this season. Nunez has only played 84 minutes in total throughout this season and this new barrage of criticism is downright opportunistic. According to the Liverpool Echo, Nunez turned his Instagram account to private to stop anyone new from following him or leaving any comments on his posts.
Furthermore, the section of the Liverpool fanbase actively participating in the witch-hunt shows that “the Liverpool way” is under threat. Many engagement accounts actively seek to create controversy by hoping Liverpool and its players will struggle.
The controversial takes bring a lot of interaction that boosts their platform and revenue, making hate-filled rhetoric their prime asset. These social media “influencers” pretend to the part of the Liverpool fanbase and are capable of influencing young fans online.
It is clear that the social media toxicity affects Nunez which eventually hurts his conviction and morale to perform consistently. If the 25-year-old wants to succeed in football, he needs to build resilience as social media toxicity is a norm.
As hard as it is for some personality types, modern-day footballers have to deal with the influence of social media. Nunez is in a make-or-break season under Slot, needing to prove his worth and justify the money spent on him.
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The actual Liverpool fanbase is still thoroughly behind the Uruguayan and he will receive ample opportunities this season. The 25-year-old needs to put the off-field drama behind him and focus on people who matter and the club he is representing.
