“There is no need” – Virgil van Dijk slammed for what he was seen doing during 2-0 defeat to PSG
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has come under fire for his on-field conduct during the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, with former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson slamming the Dutchman for berating teammate Joe Gomez.
The incident occurred during a tense second half at the Parc des Princes, where Liverpool eventually fell to a 2-0 defeat.
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As the Reds struggled to cope with the pace of PSG’s wide men, Van Dijk was caught by cameras furiously gesturing and shouting at Gomez following a missed defensive rotation.
Virgil van Dijk criticised for berating Joe Gomez
Pundit Paul Robinson, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, was quick to condemn the captain’s body language, suggesting that Van Dijk’s tendency to publicly target his teammates is becoming a recurring issue.
“Virgil van Dijk once again criticising his teammates,” Robinson remarked. “There is no need for Van Dijk to criticise Joe Gomez when he didn’t overlap him.”
Gomez has often been a reliable partner for Van Dijk, but the lack of cohesion at the heart of the defense was ruthlessly exploited by PSG’s Kvicha Kvaratskhelia just minutes later for the home side’s second goal.
The atmosphere at the club is at an all-time low
The attitude is being viewed by many as a symptom of a much deeper problem at Anfield.
Following a brutal 4-0 FA Cup exit to Manchester City just days ago, after which Van Dijk admitted the team “gave up”, the cracks in the squad’s unity are widening.
With 16 defeats now recorded across all competitions this season, the pressure on manager Arne Slot has reached a breaking point.
From fans leaving early, to calls for Slot’s sacking mounting and fueled by incidents like Dominik Szoboszlai’s altercation with fans and now the captain’s open frustration with his colleagues.
As Liverpool head back to Merseyside for the second leg, they face the near-impossible task of overturning a two-goal deficit against the European champions.
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