Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has been criticised for his work-rate while on international duty with the Netherlands. Former Nottingham Forest and Celtic striker Pierre van Hooijdonk accused the 22-year-old of being 'lazy' for not tracking runners during the 1-1 draw with Poland.
Speaking to Dutch outlet NOS, van Hooijdonk said: 'It's laziness, because you think the ball won't fall there anyway. When you have a lot of possession against those kinds of teams, you actually have a false sense of dominance.' The Netherlands missed the chance to seal automatic World Cup qualification, though they remain three points clear at the top of Group G.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have been urged to raid Tottenham for Micky van de Ven as a long-term replacement for captain Virgil van Dijk. Former Chelsea defender Khalid Boulahrouz told ESPN NL: 'I think he's the ideal successor to Virgil van Dijk, both for the Dutch national team and Liverpool. When you've been playing in the Premier League for years, your body has taken a beating. And Liverpool is not crazy: if you're looking for a world-class left defender and you have enough money, you'll quickly end up with Van de Ven.'
The calls come at a difficult time for Arne Slot, whose side sit eighth in the Premier League after a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City. Liverpool have lost five of their opening 11 league games, more than they lost in the whole of last season, and trail leaders Arsenal by eight points.
