Once the steady commander of Liverpool’s backline, Virgil van Dijk appeared anything but calm. Cameras caught the Dutchman barking instructions, waving in frustration, and shaking his head as his defence crumbled. His anger seemed directed at one man — Milos Kerkez, the young Hungarian fullback deputizing for the injured Andy Robertson.
What began as normal on-field leadership soon looked like something else entirely. Each misplaced pass and defensive slip from Kerkez drew another visible reaction from the captain. By full-time, Van Dijk’s handshake was stiff and expressionless — a moment that didn’t go unnoticed by fans or pundits.
Within minutes, social media buzzed with speculation: “Van Dijk’s had enough of Kerkez,” one user posted. Another insisted, “You can see it in his body language — he doesn’t trust him.”
It was the kind of talk Liverpool didn’t need after their fourth consecutive league defeat — their worst domestic run in years.
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A Defeated Dressing Room
In his post-match interview, manager Arne Slot looked visibly drained. The Dutchman spoke quietly, frustration hiding behind a calm tone.
> “It’s disappointing again,” Slot admitted. “You always hope to build on a good midweek result, but we weren’t close to our usual level.”
Slot pinpointed the same problems that have plagued Liverpool in recent weeks — losing duels, conceding second balls, and switching off at set pieces. Ironically, he revealed that Liverpool had trained specifically to defend Brentford’s long throw-ins the day before — yet that very tactic brought the opening goal.
> “We worked on it, showed clips, prepared for it… and it still happened,” he sighed.
The breaking point came with a contentious penalty that sealed Liverpool’s fate. Slot called it “soft” but refused to hide behind officiating:
> “If I say that, I hope no one thinks it’s an excuse. We didn’t do the basics right.”
Behind the scenes, tension simmered. Van Dijk reportedly sat motionless in the dressing room, kit still on, staring at the floor. Kerkez, despite scoring his first Liverpool goal, looked dejected. Their brief post-match exchange, described as “icy” by witnesses, spoke volumes.
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A Team Divided?
Van Dijk’s anger may not just be about one game. For weeks, Liverpool’s defence has looked shaky and uncertain. The cohesion that once defined them under Klopp has eroded under Slot’s new system — a structure emphasizing possession and fluid pressing but often leaving gaps at the back.
An insider told reporters, “Van Dijk has incredibly high standards. When players fall below them, he takes it personally.”
While some fans viewed his reactions as justified leadership, others criticized him for discouraging a young teammate. Online debates raged: “He should guide Kerkez, not humiliate him,” one post read, while another countered, “He’s the captain — it’s his job to demand better.”
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Slot’s Struggle for Control
Speaking again to journalists, Slot conceded that this might be his toughest moment since taking charge.
> “Normally we react after going behind, but today Brentford dominated through set pieces and duels. They were simply better.”
The coach also expressed frustration that Liverpool weren’t awarded a penalty for a foul on Cody Gakpo, saying, “If one of those incidents deserved a penalty, it was ours.”
But luck, he admitted, wasn’t the real problem. “When you make too many changes in the summer, some instability is expected,” Slot said. “But four straight defeats? That’s not acceptable.”
He stopped short of criticizing individuals but hinted at deeper issues within the squad. “We defend as a team of eleven,” he insisted — though the evidence on the pitch told another story.
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The Bigger Picture
Kerkez, only 21, looked overwhelmed — cautioned early, misplacing passes, and visibly nervous under pressure. Each mistake drew another frustrated reaction from Van Dijk. One viral clip showed him shouting toward the left flank in clear anger.
Liverpool fans have seen this movie before — the cracks of 2021, when injuries and exhaustion nearly derailed their season. Back then, Klopp’s charisma held things together. Slot, however, is still building trust and authority. And with four straight league defeats, that bond is fragile.
Even Mohamed Salah’s late strike to make it 3–2 couldn’t spark emotion. He simply jogged back to halfway, head down, no celebration.
In the stands, applause was polite but hollow. Some fans didn’t wait for the final whistle. The reigning champions looked like strangers — disconnected and weary.
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A Fragile Future
Reports claim the atmosphere on the team bus was silent. Slot sat replaying the match on his tablet; Van Dijk stared out the window with his earphones in; Kerkez a few seats back, visibly distraught. It captured Liverpool’s reality — a squad divided by frustration and uncertainty.
At Anfield, opinions are split. Some argue Slot deserves patience; others doubt his suitability. “We look lost,” one fan wrote online. “There’s no belief, no fight.”
Former players have also voiced concern. “When your captain shows visible anger on the pitch, it spreads,” one pundit said. “Young players lose confidence — that’s when teams start collapsing.”
Slot now faces his biggest challenge yet: repairing unity before it’s too late. He must calm his captain, support his younger players, and restore belief before another loss deepens the crisis.
The Van Dijk–Kerkez tension may seem minor, but in a wounded dressing room, even a spark can start a fire.
Liverpool once built its identity on togetherness. Right now, that bond feels broken — and until it’s repaired, every mistake will cut deeper, every setback will hurt more, and every defeat will remind them of what they’ve lost: the fearless Liverpool that once terrified Europe.
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