Peter Crouch and Steve McManaman rip into Liverpool star for 'disappointing' moment in the Anfield club's 1-0 loss to Bournemouth
Liverpool's star defender, Virgil van Dijk, has come under heavy criticism for his lackluster first-half performance in their clash against Bournemouth. Despite coming into the game with a morale-boosting 7-0 victory over Manchester United, the Reds found themselves trailing due to Philip Billing's 28th-minute strike.
Cherries winger Dango Ouattara was able to easily breeze past van Dijk down the right flank before setting up Billing, which left a number of pundits unhappy with the defender.
Van Dijk trying to tackle Ouattara in the lead-up to Bournemouth's goal https://t.co/5WQkaF0eu7
Former Liverpool players Peter Crouch and Steve McManaman were dismayed and singled out van Dijk for making life "too easy" for their opponents. Crouch said (via BT Sport):
"It was disappointing. Van Dijk seems to give up, Trent Alexander-Arnold switches off and it’s too, too easy for Bournemouth."
McManaman also discussed the center-back:
"All the bad habits have come back, they are really lethargic. This high line they keep doing, gambling to play offside… they have been terrible, really, really poor and they have to liven up."
This is the worst Van Dijk performance I can remember.
Van Dijk was donning the captain's armband, with Jordan Henderson starting on the bench. The Dutchman expressed his frustration after Bournemouth's goal, and this saw former Chelsea man Joe Cole criticize the Liverpool man:
"It’s a simple ball over the top. He gets back in but now he needs to switch on, he should be in business. When have we ever seen Virgil van Dijk just stroll past someone in that situation? He just switches off. Look at that reaction, you don’t want that from your captain."
Mohamed Salah's missed penalty added to the Reds' woes as Billing's goal proved enough to secure a crucial win for Bournemouth at the bottom of the table. Van Dijk's subpar display will surely be a cause of concern for manager Jurgen Klopp.
Jurgen Klopp discusses Liverpool's loss to Bournemouth
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was left with a bitter taste in his mouth after his team's 1-0 defeat to relegation-battlers Bournemouth. He expressed concerns that this loss could potentially leave lasting negative effects on his players, given the difficulties they have already faced this season.
Speaking after the game, Klopp said (via Sky Sports):
"Then we have the football week of all football weeks, opponents-wise, So, there's a lot to go for but today is not the moment for me to talk about that.
"This game was a massive knock. How is it with knocks? You have to take them and then you have a look how big the scars are and then go from there."
The Reds will face Real Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 on Wednesday as they look to overturn a huge 5-2 deficit.