Alan Shearer questions Virgil van Dijk amid Liverpool struggles

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Alan Shearer is the latest to question Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, who’s taken a fair bit of criticism lately.Speaking before Friday night’s match against Wolves, Shearer touched on the issues the reigning champions are dealing with.In attack, Hugo Ekitike has been the only one providing any real quality. But Shearer doesn’t see that as the main problem.Alan Shearer weighs in on Virgil van Dijk and the big question for LiverpoolPhoto by Steven Halliwell/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesVan Dijk doesn’t come under fire often.

For nearly a decade, he’s been one of Liverpool’s most reliable players, praised as much for his leadership as his defensive skills.But this season hasn’t been his best, and Shearer pointed out that it’s an area Arne Slot needs to address.He told BBC Sport: “Liverpool have been weak defensively at times. When Liverpool are picking up points, Van Dijk rarely faces much scrutiny.

However, these problems seem more systemic than individual.How Van Dijk’s numbers stack up against last seasonA closer look at Virgil van Dijk’s Premier League numbers offers some context to Alan Shearer’s criticism. Van Dijk is now winning around 75% of both his ground and aerial battles, up from roughly 69% and 72% respectively last season, indicating that although he is intervening less frequently, he remains highly effective when he does.Liverpool were the top side in the Premier League last season, and they’re nowhere near that now.