Liverpool have a total of ten players competing at this summer’s European Championships.
Add in a few players at Copa America, such as Luiz Diaz and Darwin Nunez, then new manager Arne Slot is going to find that he will be working with a small pool of players when pre-season begins in July.
One man is already back home and that’s Andy Robertson after Scotland were knocked out in humiliating fashion when they recorded only one point from three games.
On Tuesday, Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo survived a scare because, despite the Netherlands losing 3-2 to Austria, they have still progressed to the knockout stages of Euro 2024.
It’s just a case of waiting to see who they play in the round of 16 because there is every chance it could be England after their 0-0 draw against Slovenia on Tuesday meant that they topped their group.
Whilst Gareth Southgate is coming under fire for his team’s performances, it’s not exactly rosy in the Dutch garden either because they are through via a third-placed play-off.
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From a defensive aspect, they were verbally battered for the final group game of Euro 2024, with Liverpool‘s van Dijk and Gakpo coming under the microscope.
Ashley Williams slammed the Liverpool duo for how they defended Austria’s second goal during the game and how there was a lack of commitment.
And then former Premier League hitman Thomas Hitzlsperger added by saying that a man like van Dijk needs to take responsibility.
The 32-year-old, who missed the last Euros through injury, is the senior man at the back and Hitzlsperger thinks he was just watching shadows as Marcel Sabitzer scored a stunning late winner, as he told Match of the Day on BBC One.
It means that Austria have topped Group D, despite also being alongside France.
Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo criticised at Euro 2024
“It’s really poor from a Dutch point of view,” said Williams about Austria’s second goal. “The lethargicness of the Dutch team again. Van Dijk isn’t tight. Even when it gets laid back, he doesn’t slide back into position.
“Then, stop the cross, but Cody Gakpo switches off. As a defender, it looks horrendous. They don’t stop the cross and then it’s a free header.”
Hitzlsperger added about the winning goal from Austria: “Defensively, they don’t take responsibility. They don’t keep the line. A player like Virgil van Dijk. He sees it all. It’s in front of him. He stands there, let’s talk about Sabitzer for the goal. How do you finish it from there? Absolutely brilliant.”
Cody Gakpo playing on the left
It could be argued that Gakpo is yet to showcase his true worth in Liverpool colours because he isn’t even an established starting player yet – Cesc Fabregas had some interesting words to say.
This is despite the 25-year-old moving to Anfield during the January transfer window of 2023.
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Perhaps now playing under a Dutch manager is going to help his cause, but at Euro 2024, he is playing on the left.
Gakpo’s performances seem to be a lot better and he is proving to be effective as he already has two goals to his name.
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