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Ex-Liverpool defender Steve Nicol has criticized Virgil van Dijk for giving away a soft penalty in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Brentford.
The Liverpool defender was judged to have fouled Dango Ouattara in the second half after giving the Brentford forward a slight push and then catching him with his foot. It was a harsh decision that was originally given as a free kick, but VAR upgraded the decision to a penalty when replays showed the offense had taken place on the line of the box.
It handed Brentford a penalty, which Igor Thiago duly converted to restore the Bees’ two-goal advantage. While the decision was harsh on Van Dijk, it felt like an unnecessary level of contact from the Dutchman in a dangerous area of the pitch.
He was always playing a risky game, and Nicol described it as a “horrible piece of defending” that was emblematic of Liverpool’s performance on Saturday.
“The penalty sums up exactly what Liverpool are right now,” the 63-year-old told ESPN.
“You have your so-called leader, so-called best defender in the world, who has given a penalty away on the edge of the box on a ball that he is so late to. He’s tried to clear it.
“It is such a horrible piece of defending from a guy who we know can be so good. It is like a disease; it is spreading around the whole team.”
Speaking to Liverpool.com after the game, Van Dijk said he was disappointed the penalty was given against him, especially when Cody Gakpo wasn’t awarded a spot-kick in the first half following a coming together with Nathan Collins in the box.
“If people say it's clear and obvious, I don't think it was too clear and obvious, but listen, the fact is he gives it and we have to deal with it,” said the Liverpool skipper.
“But in my opinion, then you have to also give it first one to Cody. But it is what it is, we can't change it.
“It is a situation that these decisions at the moment don't fall our way, but we have to deal with what we can control and that's to improve because that's needed, all of us.”
Van Dijk has also faced criticism from Wayne Rooney in the wake of Saturday’s game. “This is a time where the manager and the leaders in the team need to figure it out very quickly,” claimed the former Manchester United and Everton man.
“Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, they've signed new deals, but I don't think they've really led that team this season.
“I think body language tells you a lot, and I think we're seeing slightly different body language from the two of them. They are the top two players in that team, and if their body language is not right, that affects everyone else.”
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