Micah Richards has admitted that it was ‘strange’ to see Virgil van Dijk look so unsteady for Liverpool against Manchester United tonight.
Jurgen Klopp’s outfit remain winless in the Premier League this season after losing 2-1 to the Red Devils at Old Trafford.
Jadon Sancho fired the hosts ahead on 16 minutes and, in the process, the England international made the Liverpool powerhouse look less than the world class central defender everyone knows he is.
The former Borussia Dortmund winger made a fool of James Milner, before tricking Van Dijk and then passing into the corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area.
And Richards was left stunned by the defending – or lack of – from the legendary centre-half.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “He is normally so dominant, he reads the game so well and would get out to Sancho but he is in acres of space and I know people will talk about Milner and how he got sat down in the box but Van Dijk literally just stands there.
“It is such strange defending, we all know Van Dijk he has had his injuries and they are a way better team when he is in the side but some of these mistakes are so uncharacteristic from him and I just can’t believe what I’m seeing from such a world-class defender. It’s so strange to see.”
It was such an uncharacteristic defensive performance by Liverpool.
Even Trent Alexander-Arnold was ambling around in the box moments before Sancho fired the hosts ahead, illustrating a sense of pure apathy for whatever reason.
With Klopp’s side already five points behind Manchester City, the Anfield outfit need to buck up their ideas – and quick.
Apart from 10 minutes at the end, after Mohamed Salah halved the deficit, the Merseysiders were second best largely throughout the contest and in a fixture like this, that isn’t acceptable.
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