Former Chelsea, Celtic, and Derby County player Craig Burley has singled out Virgil van Dijk following Liverpool's draw against Sunderland on Wednesday.
Van Dijk was implicated in Sunderland's goal due to a poor pass, contributing to another disappointing result for the Reds, whose performances and results this year have fallen significantly short of expectations.
According to Burley, the captain of Arne Slot's team has largely escaped criticism, yet he is one of the primary reasons for the English champions' current slump.
"I'm sick of hearing people say, 'it's Mo Salah who's not playing well, Florian Wirtz can't adapt, Alexander Isak, Ekitike, the midfield dynamic has changed.' He [Van Dijk] is the barometer of what's gone wrong this year," Burley began on ESPN.
"He should be the leader. All he's done this season is throw Kerkez under the bus and throw his arms up in the air. He's making as many mistakes as any other player. In every game, you can watch him and think... 'what is he doing?'" he added.
The former Scottish international went further, labeling Van Dijk's behavior as cowardly during Sunderland's goal: "He does everything wrong. He makes the pass, doesn't press, and turns his back like a coward."
"It's absolutely unbelievable. He (Van Dijk) seems to be getting away with this relatively unscathed, and everyone else is taking the blame. But, for me, at the back, he's been as bad as anyone else. And I think that goal, the way he refused to press and the fact he turned his back, is the epitome of his performances this season," he concluded.