Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has dismissed Wayne Rooney’s remarks that blamed the Reds’ dip in form on a lack of leadership, describing the criticism as “lazy.”
Rooney had suggested that Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah had failed to “really lead the team this season” following Liverpool’s fourth straight league defeat to Brentford last week.
‘Lazy criticism’ from a legend
Speaking after Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, Van Dijk said he wasn’t bothered by Rooney’s comments but felt they were unfair.
“I didn’t hear him last year,” the Dutch defender told reporters. “It doesn’t hurt me. Obviously, he’s a legend of the game, but that comment is, I would say, a bit of a lazy criticism. It’s easy to blame players, but we do it together.”
He added that pundits often look for scapegoats when results dip:
Last year, when things go well, you don’t hear that at all. It is what it is. He has an opinion, and we have to deal with it. There’s no hard feelings.”
Focus shifts to Madrid and City
Liverpool, currently third in the Premier League and seven points behind Arsenal, face a critical week ahead. Arne Slot’s men host Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday before traveling to Manchester City on Sunday.
Van Dijk also backed his manager amid speculation about Slot’s future, saying:
“I’ve heard the reports about him being under pressure, but this club doesn’t make rash decisions. We believe we can work our way out of this together.”