Virgil Van Dijk Delivers Brutal Takedown In Two-minute Monologue

3 hari yang lalu

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk had been talking for 2 minutes and 10 seconds without interruption but still had 1 much point to add: “Sorry for nan agelong answer.”

The admirably composed centre backmost had thing to apologise for aft calmly dismantling nan hysteria which has swirled astir nan reigning Premier League champions complete nan past month. Van Dijk, successful his domiciled arsenic nine captain, has been exposed to nan brunt of nationalist scrutiny during his frequent, unwanted, media duties astatine a clip of unprecedented struggles for Liverpool successful nan modern era.

Five consecutive defeats to English guidance for nan first clip successful 72 years had fans, pundits and even immoderate Liverpool players fearing nan worst.

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A convincing 2–0 victory astatine location to Aston Villa connected Saturday nighttime helped dampen immoderate of nan doom-mongering and served arsenic nan level for Van Dijk to return purpose astatine these “ridiculous takes.”

“Even successful bully times, you person to still support going and don’t return our ft disconnected nan gas,” nan Dutch skipper told TNT Sports. “What I’ve noticed complete nan past fewer weeks is that there’s a batch of sound that you person nary power complete and we person to woody pinch that arsenic a team. Some of nan takes are ridiculous, but you woody pinch it.”

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher notably warned that it was “crisis time” for his past employers aft they were meekly undone by Brentford’s nonstop attack past weekend. Van Dijk revealed that this very high-profile disapproval tin penetrate nan sanctity of Liverpool’s squad, but stressed for level heads going forward.

Mohamed Salah (right) celebrated his 250th Liverpool goal. / Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

“Outside sound tin scope definite players,” he admitted, “but we instrumentality together. We are not going retired connected nan transportation to suffer games aliases time off fans disappointed, we want to activity our socks disconnected and triumph games. But it’s not a guarantee, nan Premier League is nan highest level.

“Now it’s clip to commencement working, ne'er get excessively precocious aliases excessively low. We unrecorded successful a world wherever everyone tin person their ain opinions connected truthful galore platforms and they cognize better. We person to enactment distant from that and attraction connected nan difficult activity we are doing.

“Last season, we did immoderate antagonistic worldly but everything was each sunshine and rainbows everywhere. Now it sounds for illustration we’re going to beryllium successful a relegation battle—that’s really it useful successful nan world.”

To underscore nan galore salient points Van Dijk made, that solitary triumph took Liverpool backmost up to 3rd successful nan Premier League table.

Arne Slot took a circumspect position of Saturday’s win. / Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

While Van Dijk took Saturday’s triumph arsenic a infinitesimal to sprout down immoderate critics, Liverpool head Arne Slot was successful nary temper for expansive displays of confidence.

“The margins are mini each azygous game—today aft 5 minutes they deed nan post,” nan Dutch leader fretted to Match of nan Day. “We didn’t concede a group piece, which was helpful, but besides we sewage a spot fortunate which hasn’t happened recently. Our 2nd extremity was a deflection.”

For each Slot’s attempts astatine circumspection, Liverpool were good worthy their win. Mohamed Salah put nan hosts successful beforehand astatine nan extremity of a first half they had dominated, pinch Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konaté missing clear chances earlier nan Egyptian guardant fired in.

Ryan Gravenberch added different successful nan 58th infinitesimal during a 2nd half which was defined by that acquainted consciousness of power Liverpool exerted for truthful overmuch of past season. There was precious small goalmouth action and that was conscionable really Slot wanted it.

“The bully point astir being 1–0 aliases 2–0 up [is] you tin power nan crippled a spot amended pinch much possession, but if you are down you person to pursuit nan crippled and return risks and get counter-attacked,” Slot mused.

“I deliberation everyone who was present coming felt nan value of nan game, nan players and fans arsenic well. We showed characteristic and won nan game.”