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Gabby Agbonlahor says attackers are no longer scared of Virgil van Dijk, with the Liverpool skipper the latest player to come in for criticism amid a poor run of results for Arne Slot's side.
This weekend, Manchester United became the fourth side in a row to beat Liverpool, earning a first win at Anfield in almost a decade. The Reds have Eintracht Frankfurt and Brentford next, before a visit from familiar foe Crystal Palace in the League Cup.
"I think so because a couple of seasons ago, watching Van Dijk, it reminded me of Vincent Kompany at one stage and Rio Ferdinand, where players were scared to even run near him," former Aston Villa striker Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT.
"I remember playing against Kompany and Rio, and you’re like, ‘What’s the point?’. They’re quicker than you, they’re stronger than you, they’re gonna kick you, they’re gonna turn and take you on.
"That was the Van Dijk we know. Now, everyone’s running at him, everyone’s having a go.
"The first goal was crazy. When you watch it back, you’re just like, you’ve got to be sprinting back, and then when the goal’s conceded, he’s looking at Konate like, ‘Where were you?’.
"It’s like, no Virgil that’s your man. That’s your space he’s run into, but you’re too busy jogging because it’s nice to like jog slowly.
"He’s a captain, he’s got to fix up, he’s got to perform better, and in an interview after the game, he’s saying, ‘Oh we rushed things, we’ve done this, maybe Dominik Szoboszlai’s throw-in he’d done before the winning goal’.
"But what about talking about your own performance? You’ve not been at it."
Van Dijk made no excuses for Liverpool's poor run when he spoke to reporters at Anfield at the final whistle, but insisted that his teammates will stand up to the challenge.
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"You can't hide," Van Dijk said. "You have to keep going. You have to get a win and Wednesday is another opportunity.
"I think everyone here today (at Anfield) maybe felt a bit like that (anxious). You can understand it, coming back after the international break after three losses on the bounce. Everyone wants to see a good performance, including ourselves."
Liverpool.com says: At the moment, lots of things are going wrong for Slot's team. However, better finishing in the final third would instantly improve things. If Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah can find their groove, most defensive deficiencies can be covered up.
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