‘Complete’ Liverpool star is too laid back, and it’s becoming a problem - opinion

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What made Liverpool so dominant in the past is now coming back to bite them.The Reds were the dominant force in English football last season, with almost no team able to even really lay a glove on them.Fast forward to now, though, and teams no longer see Liverpool in the same way, with many viewing them as an easy opportunity for three points. Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis.

There are many reasons for this, as there are issues all over the pitch, but there has been one player who has really struggled in recent weeks.Usually they would leave attackers fearing for the worst, but his laid-back nature is now a weakness that is being exploited week after week.Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty ImagesVirgil van Dijk is too laid backEver since he arrived, Virgil van Dijk has been one of the best centre-backs in the world, with the Dutchman’s all-round game making him impossible to get past.Or at least that was the case as now, teams can break Liverpool and van Dijk down with ease, with the captain just looking like he is not trying.Of course, that is not actually the case, it is just that he makes everything look so effortless, with the centre-back looking like he barely gets out of first gear.In the past, this was manageable as he would always recover or be saved by those around him, but with almost all his other teammates struggling, he can no longer get away with this.He has often passed on the blame to the likes of Ibrahima Konate even when the goal was his own fault, like Manchester United’s opening goal a few weeks back, with his laid-back nature the reason why it eventually went in.READ MORE: Arne Slot’s decision ahead of Crystal Palace game could just see him sacked if it backfires There is no doubting his quality, but when he is struggling for form, and then still not looking like he is putting in any extra effort, then it becomes hard to defend him.Tim Sherwood wants Virgil van Dijk to show a little moreLiverpool are usually so good in an attacking sense that they can bail the defence out when needed, but that is not the case this season.Both have equally been as poor, meaning that all players need to work even harder in their positions than usual, van Dijk included.This is something Tim Sherwood mentioned as well, with the former manager wanting more from Liverpool’s captain who was labelled as the ‘complete’ defender. “Offensively they are very strong, and I know he cares about defending, but when you have Rolls Royce like van Dijk, it’s almost like ‘oh he can take care of it’,” he said on The Good, The Bad & The Football.“But when they lose a little bit of form or urgency, and I think van Dijk has done recently.“It’s almost like he’s too cool to sweat.

I love it but sometimes I am like ‘go on, get back, get back, bust a gut! They need him back to his best if they have any chance.”