Virgil Van Dijk dismisses Wayne Rooney’s “lazy” criticism of Liverpool leadership | OneFootball

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk (34) has hit back at Wayne Rooney’s suggestion that the Reds’ recent struggles stem from a lack of leadership, describing the remarks as “lazy criticism,” as reported by BBC Sport.

After a strong start to the season under Arne Slot, last year’s Premier League champions endured a run of four consecutive defeats before returning to winning ways against Aston Villa. In the wake of Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Brentford, Rooney questioned Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, claiming they “had not really led that team this season.”

Responding after Saturday’s victory, Van Dijk rejected the former Manchester United striker’s assessment. “It doesn’t hurt me,” he said. “He’s a legend of the game, but that kind of comment feels lazy. It’s easy to point fingers when things aren’t going well, but last season when everything clicked, you didn’t hear that.”

Van Dijk insisted the squad remains united in supporting Slot, who has reportedly come under scrutiny after Liverpool slipped to third, seven points behind leaders Arsenal. “We all believe we can work our way out of this,” he said. “As long as we stay humble and keep working, we’ll be fine.”

Rooney, speaking on his podcast, stood by his remarks, acknowledging Van Dijk’s world-class credentials but maintaining that his performances “haven’t been at the same level.”

Liverpool now face a defining week, hosting Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday before a crucial Premier League clash with Manchester City on Sunday, tests that may shape both their season and their manager’s authority.

GFN | Finn Entwistle