Van Dijk tackled after new Liverpool blamage: ‘He doesn’t do anything’

Liverpool’s dramatic start to the season is still not over. This weekend against Leeds United, the Premier League number 19 at the time of kick-off, they failed to win for the eighth time in 12 games. Afterwards, captain Virgil van Dijk’s role in Crysencio Summerville’s winning goal was discussed at length.

Club icon Steve Nicol was highly critical of the Oranje defender at ESPN’s international branch. “In that last goal, he does nothing at all. Summerville gets the ball and moves two ways and punts it in. We’re not talking about a second, but that whole action. Van Dijk doesn’t move at all; he stands there and looks at it.”

His criticism, incidentally, was not aimed at Van Dijk alone. “Two years ago, Liverpool’s entire back line had Leeds pinned in their own half. Then they really defended as a unit. Today, they don’t defend at all. Not up front, not in midfield, not at the back.”

Unique series coming to an end

It was a painful weekend for Van Dijk anyway, especially as a unique run came to an end. Since he signed for Liverpool in January 2018, the club never lost a home game in which the defender was on the pitch. Van Dijk remained unbeaten at Anfield for five years, 70 games. So now, thanks to compatriot Summerville’s goal, that incredible series is history.