Virgil van Dijk has faced criticism for piling in on Milos Kerkez following Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester United. The Red Devils secured a 2-1 victory at Anfield courtesy of Harry Maguire’s header six minutes from time.
The defeat was Liverpool’s fourth in a row, while signing Kerkez also endured another tough afternoon. Speaking after the game, Matthijs de Ligt revealed United had intentionally exploited the left-back, along with right-back Conor Bradley, after identifying the full-back positions as a ‘weakness’.
“We knew that Liverpool had weaknesses, and that’s their full-backs,” he told ViaPlay. “We were all really hyped, and the focus was very high. Today was a game that you really have to be concentrated in.”
One moment that summed up Liverpool’s afternoon came in the second-half when an attempted clearance from Van Dijk smacked off the face of Kerkez and went over the bar. And former Premier League midfielder Craig Burley has taken aim at the way the Dutchman reacted.
“Virgil van Dijk, to me, is not leading at the moment. He’s blaming,” he told ESPN FC. “Kerkez is having a bad time, there’s no doubt about it.
“He’s getting swallowed up by the pressure of going in with these big players in this huge football club with these big expectations, but I don’t think that it helps when your captain’s looking at him every two minutes and blaming him or digging him out.
“Even at the end, the clearance that comes off Kerkez’s face. What’s he supposed to do? He’s tucking in behind Van Dijk.
“Van Dijk’s turning around and he’s gesturing to him. The crowd see it and I just don’t think that helps the situation.”
Speaking after the game, Van Dijk said: “I think we conceded a very sloppy second goal. We worked so hard to get back into the game and we created great opportunities to score the winner, but if you concede a second goal like that, that is the disappointing part.
“If you look at the game as a whole, we were far too rushed. I think they were very patient they didn’t press us high but they didn’t let us on the ball.
“We still created many opportunities to score, but the reality is that we lost. It is an interesting time because we have to stick together, not just us as players but as a club and fans who want us to win.”
In the aftermath of the defeat, tension appears to be simmering inside Liverpool’s dressing room. Reports from Anfield suggest that several senior players were visibly frustrated, with emotions running high following yet another disappointing result. Van Dijk’s leadership has come under scrutiny, as pundits question whether the Dutch defender can rally a team seemingly low on confidence and composure. With Arne Slot’s side now facing mounting pressure to end their losing streak, the spotlight will be firmly on how Liverpool’s captain responds — both on and off the pitch — in the crucial fixtures ahead.
