Virgil van Dijk makes Arne Slot Liverpool statement amid 'disrespect' claim
Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk has come to the defence of under-fire manager Arne Slot, insisting that despite a rocky season, the Dutchman deserves an opportunity to steer the ship back on course. Slot took over the reins at Anfield in 2024, succeeding Jurgen Klopp, and in his debut season, he guided Liverpool to Premier League triumph with a tally of 84 points.
However, this season has been less than stellar for Slot's squad, who currently find themselves languishing in sixth place in the Premier League. The Reds have managed to secure victory in just 11 of their 24 league matches this season, trailing table-toppers Arsenal by a hefty 14 points.
The sacking of Xabi Alonso from Real Madrid earlier this year has only fuelled rumours about Slot's future at Liverpool. But Van Dijk suggests that some of the chatter surrounding the Dutch manager is verging on disrespectful.
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During a candid chat with Sky Sports and Gary Neville, the stalwart defender remarked: "I said it last week and I've said it here, criticism, with the season we're having, is well deserved because of the way we have been playing at times and the way we have been losing games on the bounce."
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"That's just not the standards that we set, especially last year. But you have criticism, and you have disrespect."
When questioned whether the criticism directed at Slot was disrespectful, Van Dijk responded, "Well, it depends on what you feel. I've had the question last week as well. Do I think the disrespect is well-deserved? I feel like I don't know, because I don't read it all the time.
"We are in a process of things and I feel like it just takes time. I don't think Liverpool, from what I know Liverpool as, is a club of making rash decisions and trusting the process.
"But I know how the world works and the pressure that managers are under and [how they] are held accountable and responsible for the results that we are getting. I still feel like it's a process and he deserves, in my eyes, that respect and chance to make sure this process ends in a positive way. We just have to keep going."
In the same interview, Van Dijk claimed that pundits in football have a "duty of responsibility" to the next generation of plays when they lay criticism. Earlier this season, the defender was involved in a back and forth with Wayne Rooney, who had slammed the defender's performances.
Recently, Nicky Butt and Lisandro Martinez exchanged messages after comments made by the ex-Manchester United midfielder. "For me personally, I can deal with it, but I'm a bit worried for the next generation," he told Neville. "I feel like the ex-top players have a responsibility to the new generation.
"Criticism is absolutely normal and part of the game, and I think it should stay that way. But sometimes criticism also goes into being clickbait, saying things to provoke things, and without thinking about the repercussions for a mental side of players, and especially the younger generation, who are constantly on social media.
"You can say, 'yeah, you shouldn't be on social media' - that's what I've mentioned [to them] loads of times. There is always this thing of when you play a good game, younger players check all the positive praises, but when you have a worse game, and you're getting bullied all over social media, or you're getting bad criticism, it can really affect you."
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