Victor Munoz has admitted it will take time before Liverpool supporters see the best of him, as he detailed talks with head coach Andoni Iraola. The £34.5million summer arrival from Osasuna is likely to have to settle for a place on the bench when the Reds begin their Premier League season at Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.
The 23-year-old winger hasn't started a full-scale game of any kind since the end of last season, having suffered an injury at the World Cup that hampered his chances of minutes at the tournament with eventual winners Spain. He then made substitute appearances in the Reds' final two Anfield friendlies, though he did impress when beginning the 70-minute match against Como behind closed doors at the AXA Training Centre last Sunday.
Adaptation period
Munoz believes he remains short of peak match sharpness and accepts there will be an adaptation period with Liverpool. "I can't wait to get underway with playing in the league season," he said. "But in terms of my aims and objectives, initial ones are to get used to the pace and the speed of the game here in England, to grow as a player and also to just try and improve with every day that goes by in training and then in games."
"I'm coming here having not played that much football of late, so it's a process at the moment. It's a settling-in process. I think things will get better and better, as I say, with more and more training, taking part in sessions and featuring in games with the team. So, I'm looking forward to it all going positively as time passes."
Talks with Iraola
Since starting training at his new club earlier this month, Munoz has held talks with compatriot Iraola in which his part in the plans of the Liverpool head coach have been mapped out. "He can explain all the tactical stuff that he wants to get over to me, explain to me certain game situations and runs and movements that he wants me to do alongside my team-mates and to fit in with them," said the attacker.
"I'm totally aware that he really favours this constant high press and he's always searching to find space in behind defences, and I think that's something which I'm hopeful will suit my game. Certainly the training sessions that we've had up to now, we've been really trying to work on all this stuff that I mentioned and put it into practice."
Whirlwind year
Reflecting on a whirlwind 12 months, having only joined Osasuna from Real Madrid last summer, Munoz added to liverpoolfc.com: "Stuff's happened really, really quickly this whole year, but as a person I try to take these things in my stride and calmly. But it has been an amazing year with everything that's happened and everything's been really positive as well."
"I've been very happy how things went, playing in Spain and then getting the chance to represent the country at the World Cup – that was like a dream come true, being a part of all that. And now signing for Liverpool, it means that the year's going to continue and hopefully end in a real positive way as well."
