Virgil van Dijk has come to the defence of Liverpool head coach Arne Slot, insisting the Dutchman deserves time to turn things around at Anfield.
Slot was appointed as Jurgen Klopp’s successor in 2024 and enjoyed a dream debut season, guiding Liverpool to the Premier League title with 84 points.
However, the current campaign has seen a downturn in form, with the Reds sitting sixth after winning just 11 of their 24 league matches and trailing leaders Arsenal by 14 points.
Speculation over Slot’s future has intensified following Xabi Alonso’s dismissal at Real Madrid in January, but Van Dijk believes the criticism aimed at his manager has gone too far, suggesting some of the discourse has bordered on disrespect.
In his sit-down interview with Sky Sports and Gary Neville, the defender said: “I said it last week and I’ve said it here, criticism, with the season we’re having, is well deserved because of the way we have been playing at times and the way we have been losing games on the bounce.
“That’s just not the standards that we set, especially last year. But you have criticism, and you have disrespect.”
Asked if the criticism towards Slot was disrespectful, Virgil van Dijk added, “Well, it depends on what you feel. I’ve had the question last week as well. Do I think the disrespect is well-deserved? I feel like I don’t know, because I don’t read it all the time.
“We are in a process of things and I feel like it just takes time. I don’t think Liverpool, from what I know Liverpool as, is a club of making rash decisions and trusting the process.
“But I know how the world works and the pressure that managers are under and [how they] are held accountable and responsible for the results that we are getting.
“I still feel like it’s a process and he deserves, in my eyes, that respect and chance to make sure this process ends in a positive way. We just have to keep going.”
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