The CBS Sports Golazo Expert I have assessed our captain’s current form in a way that will worry many watching our recent slump.
“You’re looking at Van Dijk now. He’s not the same player,” said the former centre-back.
“Van Dijk can no longer help other players. He needs help himself. And that just means he is a normal central defender, like I was at one point. So maybe he is not super human at the moment.”
Those comments came after an evening in which the Dutch international wanted to force a turnaround on his own.
His sliding tackle, a real rarity in his Liverpool career, earned him a booking.
The worst was when he inexplicably punched the ball into the penalty area, leading to PSV’s opening penalty.
Reporting about the incident led to criticism of the 33-year-old: “Van Dijk complained about the corner and then even more about the penalty, but it is a stunning handball”.
Carragher’s Van Dijk statement adds to existing defensive concerns
Carragher’s comments were not isolated, especially considering we have conceded 10 goals in the last three games.
The former vice-captain had already given a harsh assessment of another member of our backline “Konate, it’s getting to the point where you actually feel like you shouldn’t criticize him because you’re watching something that’s actually not fun to watch,” which shows that the entire defensive unit is under pressure – and not just one individual.
Arne Slot has seen his team leak goals in a way that cannot be compared to a team that won the Premier League a season ago.
Liverpool need stability as the pressure mounts
Our head coach is now faced with questions about structure rather than spirit.
Van Dijk’s attempts to take responsibility were clear, but the rash moments showed how dangerous it becomes when even our calmest defender tries to solve everything at once.
As we embark on a trip to West Ham, we need our skipper’s composure more than ever.
Carragher’s assessment was not disrespectful, it was a reminder of how important the former Southampton defender remains to us and how much we need him to perform at his best to turn this run around.
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