Ally McCoist has called out Virgil van Dijk for not turning up in a key moment during Liverpool’s draw against Chelsea.
Liverpool’s draw with Chelsea was a disappointing watch for large periods. It was a bore fest at times, with one moment of magic from Ryan Gravenberch giving Arne Slot’s side something to cling to, but they were largely ineffective going forward.
Van Dijk did have a gilt-edged chance to extend the lead to two early on, though. It came at a time when Liverpool were on top and Anfield had not yet turned, and McCoist believes the Liverpool captain should have made far more of it.
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Some good amongst the bad
Ally McCoist says Virgil van Dijk should have done better with chance vs Chelsea
Liverpool took the lead through Gravenberch and almost doubled their advantage in the 12th minute.
The chance came after a right-sided delivery deflected behind for a Liverpool corner. Alexis Mac Allister played it short to Dominik Szoboszlai, who clipped a lovely ball towards the back post.
Van Dijk attacked it well and got on the end of the cross, but his volley flew over the bar.
It was the sort of chance Liverpool needed to take in a game where clear openings were not exactly flowing. McCoist certainly felt that way, and did not hold back when assessing the miss.
He said on BBC Sport: “You’ve got to be hitting the target there! What a chance. Dominik Szoboszlai played a great pass to the back post, there was a bit going on, and he might have been offside – but it was close.
“What’s not up for debate though is Virgil van Dijk has to be hitting the target.”
He was right. Van Dijk may have been under some pressure and there may have been a possible offside check had the ball gone in, but from that range, with his quality and experience, he has to make the goalkeeper work.
Had Liverpool gone 2-0 up so early, the game may have looked very different. It could have settled the team, lifted the crowd and prevented some of the hostility from Liverpool fans, which worsened as the afternoon wore on.
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That said, this was still just one moment.
Van Dijk should have done better, but Liverpool’s bigger issue was the performance as a whole. They did not create enough, they did not control the game well enough, and they gave supporters too many reasons to grow frustrated.
- READ MORE: Liverpool player ratings vs Chelsea: Two 3/10s tell the story of a frustrating Anfield afternoon
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