'What on earth is Van Dijk doing?'

Roy Keane couldn’t hold back his frustration as he saw Virgil van Dijk err in Liverpool’s 1-2 loss to Manchester United at Anfield on October 19th.

Liverpool’s decline continued as they suffered their fourth consecutive defeat across all competitions, this time against a major rival, Manchester United, right at Anfield. Both goals conceded by the "Reds" resulted from defensive errors, with Harry Maguire scoring the decisive goal after a set-piece situation that Liverpool’s defense failed to clear decisively.

After the match, captain Virgil van Dijk admitted his disappointment: "We conceded a very silly second goal. The whole team fought back and created several chances to score the winning goal, but when you concede like that, it’s very frustrating. Looking at the bigger picture, we played too hurriedly. They were patient, didn’t press too high, but also didn’t give us much space. Despite creating many chances, the reality is we still lost."

However, according to Manchester United legend Roy Keane, Virgil van Dijk is responsible for Liverpool’s poor run of results. The former Red Devils captain believes the Dutch defender is the reason the team’s defense has become more vulnerable, especially on the opening goal scored just over a minute into the game.

Van Dijk collided heavily with teammate Alexis Mac Allister while contesting a high ball, creating a large gap in the central area that Manchester United’s attack exploited. Bryan Mbeumo took advantage of this opportunity to score early, while Mac Allister had to receive four stitches and wear a head bandage after the collision.

Roy Keane bluntly criticized: "When you’re a central defender, a key player, just signed a big contract extension but your team keeps conceding... I’d ask him: 'What the hell are you doing?'. As a leader, you must reflect on yourself. Start by acknowledging and examining your own performance!"

The former MU captain suggested Van Dijk didn’t truly give his all in the play that led to the goal: "Looking back at their goal, I have to ask: 'Did you really run at full effort?'. When you reach the top, the biggest challenge is maintaining your form because every opponent wants to bring you down."

Can Van Dijk regain the leadership qualities needed to revive Liverpool’s struggling defense?