Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards has said he was stunned by some of the defending by Virgil Van Dijk yesterday and admitted it was ‘strange’ to see him so out of character.
Liverpool’s difficult start to the season continued last night as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford against their fiercest rivals.
Jadon Sancho gave the hosts a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute with a tidy finish into an open net, after a fancy bit of skill left James Milner on the floor.
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Not only did he embarrass the veteran midfielder, but Sancho’s trickery also left Van Dijk looking helpless as he watched the ball sail past him into the bottom corner.
Micah Richards, who made 204 Premier League appearances, was left confused by the Dutchman’s defensive actions.
“He is normally so dominant, he reads the game so well and would get out to Sancho but he is in acres of space and I know people will talk about Milner and how he got sat down in the box but Van Dijk literally just stands there”, Richards said, when talking to BBC Radio 5 Live.
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“It is such strange defending, we all know Van Dijk has had his injuries and they are a way better team when he is in the side but some of these mistakes are so uncharacteristic from him and I just can’t believe what I’m seeing from such a world-class defender. It’s so strange to see.”
Although he did not have his best game, it is not just Van Dijk that can be blamed for last night’s defeat. The Red’s looked second best all evening in most departments and now find themselves in 16th place with only two points, and are already 5 points behind City.
With the likes of Ibrahim Konate and Joel Matip still injured, Jurgen Klopp will be hoping his powerhouse central defender can find some of his form again and help the Merseyside club revive their season.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Liverpool, Micah Richards, Manchester United