Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has dismissed claims from Roy Keane that he was disrespectful to Manchester United following the 0-0 draw at Anfield yesterday.
Interviewed straight after the game, Van Dijk claimed only Liverpool had tried to win the game, and while most neutral observers would agree with that observation, Keane felt the Dutchman had overstepped the mark and should remember the Merseysiders’ struggles before Jurgen Klopp took over.
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Keane, speaking as a studio guest on Sky Sports, said: “They were under huge pressure and they [United] played to their strengths. If you’d offered United a draw they’d be delighted and Liverpool would be disappointed.
“Arrogance also comes into football, it can happen. When you go away and you’re disappointed with a draw, sometimes you have to take a draw, you can’t win every game even if you have all these chances. It’s about putting the ball in the back of the net.
“Liverpool had chances and they didn’t take them, that’s their fault, nothing to do with Manchester United. I have played Liverpool many a time and they were happy with a draw. You say ‘fair play, no problem’. I didn’t like his message. I think he’s out of order.”
“Liverpool had opportunities and they didn’t take them, that’s their own fault, nothing to do with Manchester United.”
Roy Keane was not a fan of Virgil van Dijk saying Liverpool were the only side that were trying to win 😳 pic.twitter.com/ktmQuQb10x
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 17, 2023
Asked later to respond to Keane’s comments, Van Dijk was in no mood to fan the flames.
He told the PA news agency: “I like Roy Keane, if he said that then it’s fine.
“He is Man United throughout and I understand he could react like that but I felt what I said and there is absolutely no arrogance in that.
‘Everyone who watched the game probably felt the same. We move on. We had the opportunity and we couldn’t score and that’s the frustrating part.”
Liverpool had 34 shots to United’s six but visiting goalkeeper Andre Onana was rarely called into meaningful action, and Van Dijk conceded Liverpool were perhaps guilty of poor decision-making at key times.
He added: “Maybe (we were) trying to force it a little bit at times and we could have made a better decision but it was hard to break the low block down.
“You push, you push, you push and try to do everything in your power but it was one of those days we couldn’t find the right decision to score a goal.
“At times – I won’t say every time – we forced it too much to find a solution which wasn’t there but that’s football.”
