TalkSport pundit and former Tottenham defender, Jason Cundy, believes Liverpool fans are wrong about their star defender Virjil Van Dijk, and that the Dutchman has only had ‘two good seasons’.
It has been a tough season for Liverpool so far, with only two wins in their first six Premier League matches and things went from bad to worse last night as they suffered a 4-1 defeat against Napoli in their opening Champions League game.
It was a seriously weak defensive performance from the Reds with plenty of individual errors, and a lacklustre first half display saw them head into the break 3-0 down.
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When speaking to a fan on the TalkSport show, Cundy questioned Liverpool’s performance and suggested it is time they were criticised.
“No-one seems to be looking. That backline – [Trent] Alexander-Arnold, [Joe] Gomez, Van Dijk, [Andy] Robertson. Sorry, am I missing something?,” said the former Chelsea man on TalkSport.
“Did you see one of the goals Alisson conceded tonight? Are you watching Van Dijk defend? Can we have an adult, grown-up, big-boy conversation about Liverpool?
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“Because they’re happy to come on this station and laud it when they do this, that and the other. But when there’s a mistake, it’s this and that.”
Fellow host Jamie O’Hara was quick to come to Liverpool’s defence, but Cundy continued his criticism and suggested Van Dijk isn’t the player that fans of the Merseyside club make him out to be.
“Put your big-boy pants on and have a big-boy conversation about Van Dijk. No-one ever says it,” Cundy added.
“They think he’s the greatest centre-half this country has ever seen. The truth is, he’s had two good seasons and they’ve won one Premier League.”
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This isn’t the first time this season the Dutchman has faced criticism this season, with his performance in Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester United heavily scrutinised by the media. Whilst Liverpool’s poor start to the campaign does not rest solely on the defender, Klopp will undoubtedly be hoping his centre-back can return to his pre-injury levels of quality.
Topics: Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp