"It is honest, truthful punditry nothing more than that" - Danny Murphy slams Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk for criticizing pundits after win over Ajax
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has slammed Virgil van Dijk for his comments on the criticism meted out to players by football pundits.
Van Dijk and the Reds have received backlash from all corners following a poor start to the season. However, Jurgen Klopp's men silenced the doubters at least briefly with a 2-1 win against AFC Ajax in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (September 13).
Speaking to BT Sport after the contest, Van Dijk stated that former footballers tried to bring them down despite undergoing similar experiences in their own careers. The Dutch centre-back said (as quoted by talkSPORT):
“Not listening to the outside world is the most important thing. It’s funny sometimes because there’s a lot of ex-football players and know exactly what we go through but they say a lot of things to try get us down.”
He added:
“We know last week was unacceptable, very bad and we tried to make it right. This is a step in the right direction, don’t get carried away because we played so many games. Now we have to focus on the national teams or the break then crack on.”
Van Dijk's comments didn't go down too well with Murphy. He responded to the Dutchman's comments during an appearance on the "Jim White and Simon Jordan" show, saying (as quoted by talkSPORT):
“It’s a strange one coming from him because for the majority of his time at Liverpool, everyone has spent minutes, if not hours, eulogising about what a wonderful player he is and rightly so. He is a Rolls Royce of a defender and everyone knows his quality.”
Murphy went on to add:
“The standards he has set himself, he has fallen below. It is honest, truthful punditry, nothing more than that. He’s been a revelation at Liverpool, but when he plays poorly and is not at it then we will call it like anyone should.”
“When someone is having a dig, or is being critical, unless it gets personal, the last thing you do is qualify it by talking about it." #LFC
The Englishman continued:
“When someone is having a dig, or is being critical, unless it gets personal, the last think you do is qualify it by talking about it ... It shows you are bothered. The mentality of an elite is ‘I’ll get on with my job and I’ll keep doing it the best I can. What is said doesn’t bother me. That’s what you’ve got to show, your resilience.”’
Virgil van Dijk and Liverpool respond to recent results with last-gasp win against Ajax
Liverpool entered their match against Ajax at Anfield having lost their Champions League opener 4-1 against S.S.C. Napoli.
Klopp's men got the start they needed, with Mohamed Salah netting just his third goal in eight matches to put them in front in the 17th minute. However, Ajax responded after a lapse in concentration from the Reds' defense as Mohammed Kudus slammed in an equalizer just 10 minutes later.
A memorable first #UCL goal in Red for big Joel 💪 https://t.co/de1Q5mS3OR
As the game entered the final minutes, a draw looked likely. Had it ended 1-1, Liverpool would've been left third in their group, with Napoli yet to play Rangers. However, Joel Matip scored an 89th-minute header to give the Premier League giants all three points and push them up to second place.