Image Credits: Imago Images
Liverpool’s harrowing FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester City has thrown up many talking points.
Pressure has been ramped up on Arne Slot, Mohamed Salah’s farewell tour got off to the worst possible start and fans began to trickle out of the Etihad Stadium just after the hour mark with the Reds 4-0 down.
Liverpool gave it a good go for the first thirty-five minutes, but their game plan quickly unravelled after Virgil van Dijk fouled Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly in the box and Erling Haaland opened the scoring.
From there, the Reds capitulated and over a twenty-minute spell either side of half-time conceded four goals and Manchester City sailed through to their eighth successive FA Cup semi-final.
It wasn’t just the scoreline that damaged Liverpool, but it was also the manner in which the game was lost.
Players demonstrating a familiar lack of fight, the basics of football being missed and an overall lack of urgency to realise the situation they are in when things aren’t going their way on a football pitch were all evident in the defeat.
After the game, Dominik Szoboszlai went on to realise this, labelling a lack of fighting spirit and mentality as the reasons behind the defeat and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has now given his thoughts.
Virgil van Dijk has reflected on what he saw out on that Etihad pitch yesterday, hinting that he believes Liverpool gave up during what was a dismal exit out of the FA Cup.
“Am I sick of repeating myself? 100%, of course. I can understand the fans’ frustration as well. Obviously you come out of the dressing room (after half-time) with the right intentions to score and make it 2-1 and change the game, but the opposite happened and then to come back from 3-0 is obviously very difficult.”
“But also you shouldn’t give up, and that’s maybe what happened at a certain point. It’s mentally very tough at the moment, I must say. I’ve been lucky enough to play for Liverpool for so many years and the main thing always was the togetherness.”
“Now, obviously, we are in a little bit of a transition so we have to find it. It’s still difficult to then perform each and every three days if we don’t have it consistently. The togetherness on the pitch to show it for 90 plus minutes every three or four days. That is difficult.”
“But we have a responsibility, not only to ourselves but especially to the fans and, if we want to make something out of this season, we have to try and do something special in the next three games.”
Arne Slot has his work cut out for him as he looks to pick up a deflated group of players after what was a humiliating defeat for his side.
Fight and desire must be shown for the remainder of the season as the Reds face a fight to even qualify for the Champions League next season.
Virgil van Dijk did add, when questioned about Arne Slot, that he believes the players are letting the manager down.
“Well, it’s a together thing, isn’t it? Obviously, he’s responsible as the manager, but we are the ones on the pitch that have to do it. I’ve been repeating myself too many times. You know, obviously, it goes out in the media because obviously I’m here all the time.”
“We let our fans down. We let ourselves down and the manager, but we let our fans down. Up until the penalty, maybe not, but the way we played especially in the second half and that must hurt for everyone. It definitely hurts me.”
Arne Slot has got the majority of the blame following the defeat and there is a feeling that the connection between the fans and the club has not been this weak for a number of years. The Reds will have to put in some performance against PSG on Wednesday to put a positive spin on what is a dire situation at the club at the minute.
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