Some Liverpool fans have been far from impressed with what they’ve seen from centre-back Virgil van Dijk against Nottingham Forest today.
Virgil started the game in typically laid-back fashion, taking his time as Liverpool played it out from the back. But having almost been caught out a couple of times by former teammate Taiwo Awoniyi, Reds supporters started to get edgy.
An aimless ball that almost set-up a Forest counter-attack was the straw that broke the camels back for some on Twitter. Labelled ‘sloppy’ by some and ‘uncharacteristic’ by others, it clearly wasn’t the Dutchman’s best half of football.
Van Dijk not at his best
Having blown Leeds United away in the second half on Monday, fans may have turned up at Anfield expecting a quick start form Jurgen Klopp’s side. In the end, it was absolutely anything but.
You know the score, we’ve seen it too many times this season. Slow in possession and unimaginative on the ball. This was, in many way, a display typical of Liverpool’s season.
There were a few players culpable of that – there have been all season. But perhaps more to blame than any other was Virgil van Dijk.
On fully three occasions in the first twenty minutes Van Dijk almost let Forest in. His calm demeanour is brilliant when needed, but there’s such a thing as being too relaxed as a defender.
The 31-year-old almost found that out with Awoniyi bearing down on him a couple of times. Van Dijk didn’t appear to learn his lesson though, playing a blind pass into the path of Morgan Gibbs-White moments later.
Thankfully, nothing came of of Virgil’s lethargic play in the first-half. It must be said that the Dutchman was not the only one to be off the pace either. Centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate was equally loose in possession. Van Dijk also drew a good save from Forest ‘keeper Keylor Navas with a header. We still need more from Virgil, and the rest of the team in the second half.
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