Former Chelsea star claims Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk is 'overrated' and can't 'lace the boots' of Rio Ferdinand and John Terry
Former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy has launched a scathing attack on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk. The former England under-21 international has also remarked that the Dutchman is not good enough in comparison to legends Rio Ferdinand and John Terry.
Van Dijk had a poor outing as Liverpool fell to a 1-0 defeat against relegation-battling Bournemouth on Saturday, March 11.
The Netherlands skipper was partially at fault for the Cherries' goal. He, along with the Reds' backline, was caught napping by Gary O'Neil's side on the break.
After the game, Cundy hit out at Van Dijk, labeling him as 'overrated' and claiming that the Dutchman makes too many mistakes. He told talkSPORT:
"I think he is overrated, personally. I think there is a lot of media love-in with what Van Djik has done. I have no doubt that Van Djik is a brilliant center-half, but he makes too many mistakes that go unnoticed. There was a goal they conceded during Covid when they went out of the Champions League. Again, he has this languished style of run, he seems to try and bide time but doesn't react."
Cundy has also claimed that the Liverpool man should not be compared to Premier League greats like Terry and Ferdinand as he is nowhere near their levels. He added:
"I think he has had a good 18 months, and I know the injury has had an impact on that, but that goal [against Bournemouth] was not down to the injury. I can't quite put my finger on it but once he gets away from him on the right-hand side, he seems to stop and misjudge the situation. People compare him to John Terry and Rio Ferdinand but he cannot lace their boots."
Van Dijk has not been at his best since suffering a horror ACL injury in a clash with Everton keeper Jordan Pickford back in October 2020.
Prior to his injury, the Liverpool defender cemented his status as arguably one of the best defenders in world football.
The Dutchman became the only defender to win the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award. He also finished runner-up for both the Ballon d'Or and Best FIFA Men's Player Award, all in 2019.
Martin Keown claims Jurgen Klopp made a mistake by starting 2 Liverpool stars against Bournemouth
Martin Keown has claimed that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp made a mistake by starting young duo Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic together against Bournemouth.
The Reds fell to yet another defeat in the Premier League on Saturday against Gary O'Neil's Bournemouth side at the Vitality Stadium.
Stewart Downing on Stefan Bajcetic:
“You can’t rely on Bajcetic as an 18-year-old to play every game.” #lfc [liverpool echo] https://t.co/VhiXeaYuFH
Former Arsenal defender Keown has hit out at Liverpool boss Klopp for starting both Elliott and Bajcetic against a relegation-battling side. He told talkSPORT:
“You look at the two young kinds playing alongside Fabinho. When you go away, you have to be aware of what you’re walking into. They never seemed to get into the game. I don’t think Klopp knows what he’s going to get from this group. With young players, there is a learning curve."
He added:
"I remember from my career turning up and being really surprised by the atmosphere at certain stadiums. I think there is a bit of that with this group. But there should be enough experience to win at any stadium with what they’ve got.”
Elliott and Bajcetic have been shining lights for Liverpool in an otherwise miserable season. However, given their inexperience, they have had some inconsistent performances like the Bournemouth game.