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Former Feyenoord manager Gertjan Verbeek has lambasted Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk for his performance in the Netherlands' brutal 4-0 loss to France. He urged Dutch boss Ronald Koeman to strip the Netherlands captain of his armband.
The Netherlands suffered a disappointing 4-0 defeat at the hands of France in the UEFA EURO qualifiers on 25 March.
Oranje conceded three goals within the first half itself as Antoine Griezmann, Dayot Upamecano and Kylian Mbappe found the back of the net for Les Bleus. Mbappe then got on the scoresheet once again in the 88th minute, completing his brace in the encounter.
Verbeek was unforgiving of Van Dijk's display in the encounter as he slammed the Dutch captain for his lack of leadership. The former FC Twente boss said while working as a pundit for Omrop Fryslan (via Football365):
“I think Van Dijk is a first class wimp. I would immediately take away his captain’s armband. He has to mean a lot more as a captain. He has to put things down. It happens to him. At one point he lets Lutsharel Geertruida drown and then he stands there after the first goal, like: blablabla. Where was he then?”
Van Dijk has registered 22 Premier League appearances and eight UEFA Champions League appearances for Liverpool this season, recording three goals across competitions.
The Liverpool star has made over 200 appearances over the course of his career at Anfield, playing a crucial role in the Reds' Champions League victory in 2019 and their Premier League win the following year.
"It’s very bad" - Liverpool star shares thoughts on performance in Netherlands' 4-0 loss to France
Van Dijk admitted that his side started the game against France poorly, conceding two goals within the first eight minutes. The Liverpool defender highlighted his national side's weak points that Les Bleus were able to take advantage of in the encounter.
When asked whether it was his worst performance ever in an international match, the Dutch captain said (via Football365):
“If you are 2-0 down after seven minutes, it will be a hell of a job. It’s very bad how we start here. Then you’ll be chasing the facts all evening. We will definitely have to look at this. It is difficult to analyse so soon after the game, but after seven minutes it is already done."
He added:
“I don’t know if it’s the worst international match I’ve had. It sure is a big hit. We tried to recover after that bad start, but we didn’t succeed. We had way too many ball losses and were too weak in the duels. France punishes that immediately.”
The Reds have had an underwhelming 2022/23 Premier League campaign. A Liverpool side that were on the cusp of winning a historic quadruple last season find themselves sixth in the standings this term.
Liverpool will next face Manchester City at the Etihad on 1 April.
