There was plenty to criticise in Liverpool’s performance against Bournemouth at the weekend, with Alan Shearer honing in on one early moment that proved decisive.
Liverpool can’t blame anyone but themselves for coming away from the Vitality with nothing to show.
After the game, Shearer floated Andoni Iraola as an option to replace the struggling Arne Slot, but his real gripe is with the players for some quite dreadful defending.
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Alan Shearer not buying Virgil van Dijk’s excuse for Bournemouth error
Liverpool actually started the game well. They were in control, searching for a lead, before Bournemouth grabbed two quick goals against the run of play.
The Cherries’ opener stemmed from a calamity of errors at the back, with Virgil van Dijk the biggest culprit. He failed to deal with a simple ball over the top, which Evanilson pounced on.
Stevie Nichol said it was Van Dijk’s worst game for Liverpool despite getting on the scoresheet, and Shearer felt the same.
Appearing on The Rest Is Football, he said: “The first goal would give me most concern if I was a fan because I mean Van Dijk absolutely should clear it. I know he said bit windy but that’s got nothing to do with it.
“He should clear it and then he didn’t do anything. In fact, he tried to pull himself away from blocking the cross, which was really strange.”
The explanation given by the Dutchman about the wind did not sit well with Liverpool fans. It’s a rare off-night from the Liverpool captain, and hopefully not something we see too much more of this season.
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Shearer calls out the whole Liverpool back line
Van Dijk’s error might have been the most egregious, but he was not the only guilty party for that first goal.
As Shearer explains: “Gomez should have been further over, closer to Evanilson. I mean, and the two fullbacks in Kerkez and Frimpong were just non-existent.
“They were actually on the edge of the box still when the ball went in the back of the net despite the ball going over the top. I mean, it was just it was it was staggering really how much was wrong with that first goal.”
It’s not like that was the only moment worth criticising from a Liverpool perspective, but it did completely shift the momentum and made it an uphill battle for the Reds — one they couldn’t win.
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