Virgil van Dijk faces new criticism as Liverpool trio all but qualify for World Cup

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from This is Anfield or go back to LFC Live.

Virgil van Dijk bore the brunt of the criticism from the media after the Netherlands failed to get the job done against Poland with a World Cup spot up for grabs. With a 1-1 draw against Poland on Friday night, the Netherlands are all but qualified for the 2026 World Cup – but their failure to win attracted more criticism.

What the Dutch media said about Van Dijk De Telegraaf, AD and Football Oranje all noted Van Dijk’s role in the opening goal for Jakub Kaminski. Football Oranje rated the centre-back a 5.5 out of 10, arguing that he was “caught out for the goal with his lack of pace” and “booted the ball out of play at times when trying to play forward.” De Telegraaf‘s Mike Verweij said Van Dijk was “positioned incorrectly,” while AD‘s Mikos Gouka claimed he “wasn’t razor-sharp and “probably would have done better to close the gap.” Ronald Koeman himself said, per De Telegraaf: “I watched the goal again.

We’re doing that here with four or five people, compared to two.” Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch also started for the Netherlands on a night when Memphis Depay’s equaliser effectively sealed a place at next summer’s World Cup. It was a frustrating night for Conor Bradley as Northern Ireland suffered a late 1-0 defeat to Slovakia, playing 90 minutes as his country fell out of contention for automatic qualification.