“This can be a time the place the supervisor and the leaders within the crew have to determine it out in a short time.
“Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, they’ve signed new offers however I don’t suppose they’ve actually led that crew this season.
“I feel physique language tells you numerous, and I feel we’re seeing barely completely different physique language from the 2 of them. They’re the highest two gamers in that crew and if their physique language is just not proper, that impacts everybody else.
“I could be fallacious on this, but when I used to be a Liverpool fan or the supervisor, that will be an enormous concern for me.”
Liverpool then returned to successful methods towards Aston Villa and Van Dijk responded by saying: “I didn’t hear him final yr. It doesn’t damage me. Simply to come back again to this explicit participant, clearly a legend, an enormous participant of the sport who impressed so many, I can say solely optimistic issues, however I really feel that remark is only a little bit of a lazy criticism.”
Rooney doubled down on that criticism this week, telling his BBC podcast: “I’ve obtained full respect for Virgil. I feel he’s a incredible participant. My job now as a pundit is to offer my opinions on what I really feel. I’m positive when you ask him or Arne Slot, he most likely hasn’t been nearly as good as he has been over the previous couple of years. That was my remark which I stick by.”
In order that made for an ungainly encounter at Anfield as Van Dijk joined the group pitch-side, greeting Rooney together with everyone else.
After some feedback in regards to the win over Actual Madrid, host Gabby Logan requested Van Dijk in regards to the criticism in current weeks.
The complete Virgil van Dijk and Wayne Rooney transcript:
Van Dijk: “It’s straightforward to say now as a result of we gained twice in a row that it helped fairly effectively however in a world of chaos it’s important to try to keep calm and take perspective of issues. In that assembly the time was October, a lot soccer to be performed, so many twists and turns that may occur and I feel at instances the noise was so much.”
Logan: “You anyone spherical right here particularly?”
Van Dijk: “No, no not all however hear I feel it is extremely essential to place issues in perspective, preserve your head down and work and get out the state of affairs as a result of the standard we now have, that’s not the difficulty. It’s about preserve working and preserve going.”
Robbie Fowler: “Does the skin noise have an effect on you or are you simply glad plodding alongside, doing what you should do and try to put folks proper?”
Van Dijk: “I feel all of you already know right here you’re coping with a squad of 25 gamers, a variety of younger gamers and a few older gamers like myself and everybody lives a distinct life. I can say for me personally it doesn’t have an effect on me however as a captain I’m coping with gamers who could also be affected about it.”
Logan: “Has among the criticism been honest, do you suppose?”
Van Dijk: “In fact, when you lose 4 or 5 video games in a row as a Liverpool participant then it’s a honest criticism, that’s completely regular in that sense. However I feel it’s excessive at instances as effectively at that time, however that’s as a result of we stay in a world with so many platforms and so many individuals can say stuff, it will likely be picked up and made larger. I feel it’s good that ex-players who performed on the highest stage who handled troublesome moments as effectively places so much in perspective.”
Rooney: “I’m not saying something any extra as a result of I feel I spurred them on and put them on a successful streak!
“I feel what I’ve mentioned was honest if you win the Premier League after which go on a run the place you lose three or 4 video games in a row, which you don’t count on from Liverpool over the previous couple of years.
“As Virgil is captain I feel that’s your alternative to go and lead the gamers and that’s what I used to be saying. That occurs in soccer and I feel the response has been nice from Virgil and the crew.”
Van Dijk: “I feel when you watched video games then I’d undoubtedly take duty. I feel the remark that I signed my new deal after which it was like ‘that’s it’ and I let it slide, I feel that was a bit… however that’s my private opinion and we transfer on.”
