Liverpool returned to Premier League action for an away meeting with Bournemouth on January 24.
Fresh off the back of a dominant win over Marseille in the Champions League, Saturday’s match looked set to be a great chance for the Reds to build some much-needed momentum after one of their best performances of the season.
Andy Robertson was named on the bench against Bournemouth despite being heavily linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur heading into the weekend.
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Meanwhile, Hugo Ekitike was dropped for Cody Gakpo, a decision that on the surface seemed pretty baffling.
Despite being without their top goalscorer from the off, however, Liverpool were still the stronger side and were expected to secure a positive result.
Liverpool fans baffled by Virgil van Dijk vs Bournemouth
The Merseyside outfit started the tie on the front foot, seeing the Cherries largely pegged back in their own half.
But Liverpool still struggled to test the opposition goalkeeper too much in the early stages, and Bournemouth took the lead against the run of play.
A brilliant long ball was floated over the Reds’ backline, which Virgil van Dijk failed to deal with.
The Dutchman’s attempt to make contact with the ball was pretty poor, and it has not gone down well with fans.
One fan wrote: “Yeah, Virgil van Dijk is quite washed.”
“Van Dijk defending yet again. Absolutely shocking defending from him yet again he has cost us about 10 goals this season. Trying to be casual, just put it in the stands,” a second stated.
Another added: “Liverpool been dominating the entire half and Bournemouth with their first chance of the game, scores. What is Van Dijk doing there defensively?”
A fourth commented: “Van Dijk is disgustingly finished!” while a fifth echoed: “Virgil van Dijk is FINISHED,” and another said the exact same thing: “Van Dijk is finished….”
This isn’t the first time the Dutchman has drawn the ire of the fanbase this season.
Liverpool supporters questioned Van Dijk earlier this term when he made a big error in the defeat to PSV.
The stopper has been one of the most consistent defenders in the Premier League for many years, but it’s worrying that his form has started to dip right when the Reds need him to step up the most.
A new centre-back arriving in January could have eased some of the pressure on the captain, but that looks very unlikely to happen.
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