James Milner was spot on with X-rated demand to Virgil van Dijk after Man Utd opener

The Liverpool pair – the club’s second and third choice captains respectively – were seen in a slanging match after Jadon Sancho opened the scoring for Manchester United at Old Trafford

Video Loading

Video Unavailable

The video will auto-play soon8Cancel

Play now

Jurgen Klopp reacts to Man Utd defeat

Liverpool’s inquest into their defeat at Manchester United didn’t just start after the final whistle went, it began after the first goal.

The sight of Virgil van Dijk and James Milner in deep, heated conversation with each other shortly after Jadon Sancho’s opener was the type of thing we’re just not used to seeing from Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, even if the Reds boss was keen to play down the significance of the row post-match.

“That’s how it is, when you are in a game like this fighting, these guys talk to each other and on the pitch it is a different conversation,” the Reds boss told Sky Sports, adding that there was “no issue” between the pair when questioned about his team at the post-match press conference.

Whatever issues there may or may not be between individuals though, the sheer manner of Sancho’s goal showed Liverpool to be a little leaden footed at the back, almost a bit too relaxed.

And that was exactly what Milner appeared to be having a go at Van Dijk about, with cameras picking up the vice-captain’s demand to that “you go f***ing out to him” after Sancho had found the net.

Van Dijk’s apparent relaxed attitude would perhaps be more fitting for a Liverpool side that was performing well, but in its current state it looked to be a little too unreactive.

That’s an issue Jamie Carragher has picked up on, with the former Reds defender picking apart the Dutchman’s role in Sancho’s goal.

Milner and Van Dijk had a heated confrontation after the first goal (

Image:

Getty Images)

“It’s the only one thing I’d ever question Van Dijk on as a player,” he said on Sky Sports.

“If you’re going through a checklist of a centre back, he’s 10/10 for most things. The one thing I do sometimes think is: does he lack a little bit of intensity at certain times?

“I know you never see him on the floor and that’s a strength for a defender – if a defender’s on the floor all the time, that’s not a good sign. But now and again, when you’re in the proverbial (s***), you’ve got to throw yourself at (the ball).

“That one there he was literally stood there. It’s one where you’ve got to go flying out and just throw yourself at him (Sancho). Slide along the floor, make yourself as big as possible. You can’t just stand there!

Van Dijk and Liverpool had a disappointing evening (

Image:

Getty Images)

“He almost made himself smaller, the way he stood. That’s the one thing I sometimes think: go, be more aggressive, maybe slide in, throw yourself in front of something.”

Roy Keane, no stranger to arguments himself, picked up on the issue too.

“Defensively [they were] very, very casual, going back to the Fulham game, Van Dijk even the other night against Palace, I thought he could’ve done better,” he said.

“Tonight, we made the point about him arguing with James Milner, I know that can happen but it just seemed a bit more than that, more than the normal falling out with a player.”

The idea that there are deeper issues in the Liverpool squad remains a fanciful one, but any arguments during this poor start to the season are certainly unwelcome.

Read More Read More