'I think so': Gabriel Agbonlahor takes issue with Van Dijk interview and claims Liverpool captain has changed

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The defensive issues at Liverpool continue to plague their season in their fourth straight defeat.Arne Slot’s side have seen their nightmare run continue against rivals Manchester United, who did what they needed to do to beat the Reds 2-1 at Anfield, their first win at the ground in under a decade.This season, there have been problems across the pitch, with the team’s balance not what is expected; however, it is the defence led by Virgil van Dijk that has caused the most problems this season.Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis. Whether it be the full-backs or the individual performances of Ibrahima Konate, it has been a persistent issue that has not been sorted out, and after the Dutchman’s United performance, he is facing scrutiny.Usually, van Dijk’s calm leadership can see this side through rocky moments, but even he has had his form affected with his decision-making for the Bryan Mbeumo opener, just one of his poorest of the match.Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty ImagesGabriel Agbonlahor believes Virgil van Dijk is not as feared by attackersWhere the centre-back used to excel in every game for Liverpool, he has found himself struggling to maintain consistency in his performances, which has surprised fans.Some of his leadership decisions against Ruben Amorim’s side were quite poor, with the way he treated Milos Kerkez, who admittedly was making some mistakes, further knocking the Hungarian’s confidence.READ MORE: Gabby Agbonlahor criticises Arne Slot for his attitude after Liverpool’s Manchester United lossGabriel Agbonlahor singled the 34-year-old out for his performances as late, alluding to the idea that he may have lost the fear factor he once had.Speaking to talkSPORT, the former Aston Villa player explained that the way he has defended in recent games shows that players are not scared.He said: “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.

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. 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 was you?’ It’s like no Virgil that’s your man, that’s your space he’s ran 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 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.”The Eintracht Frankfurt game could not be at a worse timeOn paper, before this poor run of form, it would be expected that the Eintracht Frankfurt game in the Champions League would be one where Liverpool would pick up a victory.Now, the likelihood of a win is almost out of the question, especially with the Galatasaray loss a week prior.This team should really be suited to European football, as evidenced by the Atletico Madrid win, but this side feels somehow very far removed from that display, which also came with its issues, despite being one of the best of the season.What Slot will have to work out is who to switch out with the Brentford away game on the Saturday, which could pose another serious blow to their season.