Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has been subjected to a blistering verbal assault from former Chelsea and Scotland midfielder Craig Burley, who labelled the Dutch defender a "coward" in an extraordinary television rant.
An astonishing tirade from the pundit
The explosive criticism followed Liverpool's disappointing 2-2 draw with Sunderland at Anfield on Wednesday, a result that leaves the reigning champions a staggering 11 points behind league leaders Arsenal. Burley, speaking on ESPN, did not hold back in his assessment of Van Dijk's performance and leadership during the club's difficult run of form.
"I'm fed up sitting here and listening to people saying 'it's Mo Salah not playing well, Florian Wirtz can't find his feet','' Burley fumed. He argued that Van Dijk is "the barometer of what is wrong this year" and accused the skipper of consistently deflecting blame onto teammates.
'Throwing his hands in the air'
Burley claimed that instead of leading by example, Van Dijk has spent the season "throwing Kerkez under the bus" and "throwing his arms up in the air". The ex-Chelsea star insisted the centre-back has been "as bad as anybody else" during Liverpool's slump, which has seen them lose six Premier League games already.
The pivotal moment that sparked Burley's fury came for Sunderland's goal. Van Dijk gave the ball away in the build-up, and Chemsdine Talbi's shot then took a decisive deflection off the Liverpool captain before finding the net. "He does everything wrong," Burley analysed. "Pass, doesn't close it down and turns his back like a coward."
Defensive scrutiny shifts to the captain
Until now, criticism of Liverpool's shaky defence has largely focused on big-money left-back Milos Kerkez and Van Dijk's central defensive partner, Ibrahima Konate. Burley finds this focus "absolutely crazy", arguing that Van Dijk has escaped serious scrutiny despite his errors, including giving away a "bizarre penalty" in the recent defeat to PSV Eindhoven.
"He seems to be coming out of it relatively unscathed, and it is everybody else's fault," Burley stated. He concluded that the incident against Sunderland was "the epitome of his performances this season".
The draw leaves manager Arne Slot under increasing pressure, with a tough trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United looming on Saturday evening. Daniel Farke's side will be buoyant after their surprise midweek win over Chelsea, setting the stage for a critical fixture in Liverpool's faltering title defence.
