Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has criticized Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney’s “lazy criticism” of the Reds defender.
The Merseysiders were crowned champions last season as Arne Slott’s side won the Premier League title, finishing 10 points behind second-placed Arsenal.
However, despite winning their first five games of the season, Liverpool have lost four straight in the Premier League and currently sit in third place.
They ended their disastrous run of form by defeating Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday, but it looks like the fiasco could cost them the chance to defend their Premier League title.
Van Dijk and the rest of the defense have come under a lot of criticism for Liverpool’s disorganized and sloppy display in recent weeks.
“I think it’s strange, because last year we didn’t hear anything about it, because obviously things were going well and we were seen as leaders,” Van Dijk said after the 2-0 win over Aston Villa, referring to criticism from a number of former players and pundits.
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“The fact that things haven’t gone the way we want this year, these past few weeks, means we’re not doing our job properly. So, that’s our life. We feel that responsibility. We want to lead by example.”
“When there are difficult moments, I try to help my teammates,” added Van Dijk. “I want to put them in front of me and make them perform as best as possible.
“People question a lot of things, especially when you lose. There are so many platforms these days that anyone can say whatever they want and it will cause a huge uproar.”
During the recent losing streak, Man United legend Rooney thought Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah’s poor form could be due to them signing new contracts earlier this year.
Rooney said on the BBC podcast: “No one saw this coming. They were hit quickly, hit even harder, and I think they’re struggling to find a way out of it.
“This is a time when the managers and team leaders need to resolve things quickly. Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, they have signed new contracts, but I don’t think they have really led the team this season.”
“I think you can tell a lot from body language, and I think their body language is a little different.
“They are the top two players on the team and if their body language is not right, it affects everyone else.
“I could be wrong on this, but if I were a Liverpool fan or manager, that would be a big concern for me.”
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Responding specifically to these comments, Van Dijk added:
“Honestly, it doesn’t hurt me. Going back to this particular player, and this player obviously being a legend and a big player in this game, I have nothing but positive things to say, but I feel like that comment was a little bit of a lazy criticism.”
“This is my personal opinion. It’s easy to blame the other players, but he, like the other players, knows what we’re doing together and that each of us is trying to help get out of this situation. Like I said, last year when things were going well you didn’t hear any of that. That’s the way it is.”
“That’s the way it is because you have to do the job too. It’s only natural that everyone has an opinion and you have to deal with it.”
“By the way, there are no hard feelings. I don’t take it personally at all, but I feel that way.”
