Former lower-league left-back slams Liverpool defence following Wembley loss | OneFootball

Liverpool suffered penalty heartbreak at Wembley but a former defender’s comments afterwards have stirred a bigger debate.

CBS Sports Golazo pundit Ian Paul Joy claimed Virgil van Dijk is “going to have a poor season” and argued Jeremie Frimpong is “not a right-back” after the defeat to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield.

Joy, whose playing career took in clubs such as Tranmere Rovers, Montrose, Chester City and FC St. Pauli, suggested our captain’s leadership and positioning were at fault for both Palace goals.

He told CBS viewers the Dutchman “looked vulnerable” and criticised his challenge for the first-half penalty.

The 44-year-old also argued that summer signing Frimpong “will do something going forward, but defensively, is nowhere near”, and suggested our boss might already be thinking about defensive reinforcements.

Liverpool’s Wembley performance analysed

(Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Hugo Ekitike’s sharp finish put the Premier League champions ahead inside four minutes, before Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty levelled the score.

Frimpong’s sliced cross restored the lead, but Ismaila Sarr’s strike forced the game to penalties.

Four debutants – Ekitike, Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez – all started, with Alisson Becker returning in goal.

Slot’s men dominated possession but couldn’t prevent Palace capitalising on two key moments.

Slot’s verdict on defensive criticism

(Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Speaking via liverpoolfc.com, the former Feyenoord coach stressed that the team “didn’t concede many chances” but acknowledged “maybe a little bit of adjustment defensively” was needed.

He highlighted that set-pieces and isolated lapses had cost us, not constant pressure from the opposition.

With van Dijk still one of the game’s most respected defenders and Frimpong offering pace and attacking threat down the right, Liverpool will feel such criticism from a journeyman ex-pro says more about the pundit than the players.

Whilst comments from Steve Parish after the match addressed whether he thought Marc Guehi would be heading to Anfield this summer to bolster our defence, Empire of the Kop sources suggest other targets are being lined up too.

Whilst we’re far from a defensive crisis, it seems we can still expect the Reds to further strengthen a couple of areas before the window closes.

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