‘Trying to get Slot sacked’ – Liverpool fans tear into starter after ‘ridiculous’ display vs PSV
Liverpool suffered another frustrating night as they were beaten 4-1 at home by PSV on Wednesday.
The Reds began the game in search of a victory that would have carried them into the top eight of the Champions League, but they had a difficult night against their Dutch opponents.
Ivan Perisic put the visitors ahead with a 6th-minute penalty, before Dominik Szoboszlai replied shortly after to earn Liverpool a share of the spoils.
The hosts then took charge of the game, but were dealt a hammer blow when Guus Til netted a superb counter-attacking goal in the 56th minute.
Arne Slot’s men saw their night turn from bad to worse in the latter stages as Couhaib Driouech struck a brace to cap off the result, and the fans were quick to show their frustrations on social media.
Liverpool fans question Virgil van Dijk’s intent
Virgil van Dijk has struggled for Liverpool at times in recent weeks, and he hasn’t looked like his usual assured and composed self during the last few defeats.
There were signs of weakness from the imposing centre-back once again on Wednesday night, as he had the chaotic sort of game that simply isn’t regularly associated with a player of his quality.
The Reds’ captain gave away an early penalty when the ball struck his arm while it was raised above his head from a PSV corner.
Van Dijk then found himself in the referee’s book for a rash challenge just minutes later, and it was evident that his defensive judgement wasn’t right throughout the 90 minutes.
The 34-year-old almost atoned for his error midway through the first half, but he has his header bounce back off the underside of the bar.
The defender came under fire from his own fans on X, as one supporter branded the penalty incident as a “ridiculous” moment from him, while another questioned whether he was “trying to get Slot sacked.”
Others questioned the mentality of the Liverpool star during his display, something which would have been unheard of just a matter of months ago.
The criticism towards the veteran was rounded off by one fan pointing out that he looked “nervous” during the game, despite his often commanding presence at the heart of the backline.
Alisson’s absence contributes to Van Dijk struggles
Alisson’s continued absence for Liverpool has been hugely detrimental to their efforts of late, and his lack of availability affects more than just the goalkeeping position.
Giorgi Mamardashvili has done a steady job for Slot and his men on the whole, but there can be no doubt over the fact that the backline hasn’t looked as settled without the calming presence of their number one between the posts.
Alisson’s world-class ability provides added mental security for the rest of the team, and Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will both be used to his near-constant communication in and around the box.
Ultimately, a player of Van Dijk’s level shouldn’t be drastically affected by an issue like this, but the reality is that it has left the Reds disjointed in their own third.