’POOL, CALM & COLLECTED

Relaxed Darwin: I feel no pressure to deliver goods NEVILLE AND CARRAGHER BLAST RON

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DREAM DEBUT: Darwin Nunez enjoys his goal in the Community Shield

LEADING pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have blasted Cristiano Ronaldo’s behaviour as he continues to look for an escape route from Manchester United.

Neville has described Ronaldo’s actions as “unpalatable”, while Carragher claims United boss Erik ten Hag and his squad no longer want the Portuguese legend in the dressing room.

Ronaldo stunned United earlier this summer when he told them he wanted to leave on the eve of the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia.

He failed to go on the trip, having been given time off to attend to a private matter, and didn’t return to United until last week, when he held showdown talks with club bosses and his agent Jorge Mendes.

Stadium

He started his first game under Ten Hag against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, but having been substituted at half-time, he left the stadium before the end, in a move criticised by the Dutchman.

Neville doesn’t like how his former United teammate has

DARWIN NUNEZ insists he doesn’t feel any added pressure to start firing for Liverpool straight away.

The €100m summer signing is already off the mark with a goal to help beat Manchester City in the Community Shield last Saturday. Nunez also won his side a penalty after coming off the bench in the 3-1 win. The hefty price tag for the Uruguayan forward will mean there will be a lot of eyes on how he starts his career at Anfield.

There is also the tussle with City summer signing Erling Haaland to be the most prolific frontman in the

Premier League.

But Nunez, who was signed from Benfica, is not letting it get to him. “A striker always lives off scoring goals, but I think you try to go out onto the field to do the very best you can to help the team,” he said.

Flow

“If the goals do come, bring them on. But if they don’t flow, what are we going to do, other than keep working hard to be ready for the next game?

“You have to say that this is really just the beginning. Things went well for me against City, I managed to score a goal and I won the penalty, but I don’t have to feel any added pressure right now that I have to play well and be scoring in every game.

“What I do have to do is train every day and when match-day comes around, give my very best so things go well for us as a team.

“Because here we win together and when we lose, we lose together.” been acting in recent weeks.

Speaking on the Sky Bet Overlap Podcast, the former United captain said: “Ronaldo’s achievements in football go beyond anything that anybody could ever wish for.

“He’ll go down in the top players of all time and what happens this summer at Manchester United will be forgotten about in 20 years. But it’s unpalatable for me to watch, as an ex-United captain, thinking the star player in the dressing room is playing up.

“You can’t have your star player running the shop.”

Speaking on the same

Nunez, who scored 32 times last season, insists he has no goal target for his debut campaign in England, with his focus on ensuring the Reds win silverware ahead of their opening Premier League clash with Fulham tomorrow.

He added: “I never really set myself a goals target. Of course, it’s great and very welcome if the goals are flowing and I’m scoring. podcast, Carragher questioned United’s decision to re-sign Ronaldo (right).

Carragher said: “I always felt this situation would come.

Fiddle

“He’s never going to play second fiddle to anyone. But he’s 38 this season, he’s not the same player.

“If you asked Ten Hag, I don’t think he wants him. And I’m not quite sure the dressing room at United do right now.”

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content from the Overlap Fan Debate, please visit Sky Bet’s Start of Season Hub.

NEW Birmingham boss John Eustace has told his squad their opening display is a benchmark of what he expects weekly.

Brum made a decent start with a goalless draw at Luton, who finished sixth last season.

They host Huddersfield this evening with Eustace (below) demanding similar graft and organisation from his men. He said: “Those are the fundamentals now of what I expect. The level that they showed, their commitment and their effort was top on Saturday.

“That needs to be a given now, and then it is about improving again.

Buzz

“There is a real good buzz around the place. We know how tough Huddersfield will be.

“They are one of the top teams in the league from last season and rightly so. The game on Friday is going to be difficult.

“They are a very welldrilled team, with and without the ball, they have quality throughout their side, and they have an excellent coach.

“We know it is going to be a really difficult challenge but it is one we are looking forward to and one we are prepared for, and hopefully, we can get a positive result.”