Andy Robertson is adamant Liverpool had no worries over Darwin Nunez – but admits it will take more time for the new signing to acclimatise at Anfield.
Nunez scored the first goals since his potential club record £85million move from Benfica when notching four times after coming off the bench at half-time in the 5-0 friendly win at RB Leipzig on Thursday evening.
The 23-year-old striker had been criticised in some quarters for his performances during last week's Far East tour despite having only first linked up with his new team-mates for the games in Thailand and Singapore.
MATCH RECAP: Goals, highlights and Liverpool's win over RB Leipzig as it happened
VERDICT: Darwin Nunez passes first test as plan from Anfield insiders could accelerate
And Robertson believes there is no pressure on Nunez from within the squad and hopes Liverpool supporters will feel likewise.
“The second half was the Darwin show which we are obviously delighted about,” said the left-back. “Getting off the mark and then adding another three, it’s not too bad. Hopefully there will be many more to come for him.
“It always takes time to get used to new signings, we have all been through it ourselves. It’s no different. There may be outside pressure on him in terms of the fee and everything like that, but to us it doesn’t matter. People have come in on small fees, on big fees, and (to us) it doesn’t matter.
“We know they have to take time to get used to our system and our style of play and how we want them to play. He is adapting, he is getting fitter and stronger like all of us are in pre-season. Today will do him a world of good. It will give him a lot of confidence in front of goal which is obviously so important for a striker.
“We are delighted about that. We didn’t have any worries about him. It’s just about having a bit of time and patience with him. We have got that and hopefully the Liverpool fans have as well.”
After Mohamed Salah had given Jurgen Klopp's side an early lead in the Red Bull Arena, Nunez scored from the spot on 48 minutes before notching again three minutes later, midway through the second half and then in the final action of a hard-fought game.
And Robertson, who was celebrating five years since moving to Anfield, added: “It was a really difficult game for us in terms of preparation, such as flying in on the day and doing stuff we don’t usually do. The manager always likes to throw one of them in every pre-season. We have to deal with it, but we are a bit more accustomed to it now.
“The first half was tough. We got an early goal and could have controlled it a bit better and had a couple more chances. But it was a good workout for us. There don’t seem to be any injuries, so it was a good night all round.”
Liverpool now jet off to Austria to begin a week-long training camp. There will be a friendly against Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday before the following weekend's double-header against Manchester City in the Community Shield and Strasbourg in the final warm-up match at Anfield.
“I don’t think anybody is looking forward to Austria!” joked Robertson. “It’s always where it gets ramped up a little bit, that wee bit harder. But it’s so important. That’s where the foundations are laid.
“Tough sessions, trying to get as close to where we need to be for the first game of the season. By the end of the week we will be in a lot better position. It will be good for team bonding, pushing each other and getting fitter together.”
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