TOUGH LOVE? WHAT VAN DIJK REALLY SAID TO KERKEZ DURING THOSE AUTUMN STRUGGLES
Liverpool reach the FA Cup fifth round: Read Van Dijk’s verdict on Milos Kerkez’s rise and the latest on Mohamed Salah’s future.
That moment really summed up the tough patch Liverpool went through earlier in the season. Back then, Virgil van Dijk’s on-field shouts towards Milos Kerkez probably leaned more critical than kind. Things have turned around, though. Now, if Van Dijk’s hollering at Kerkez, there’s a good chance it’s praise.
Kerkez has kept up his strong run, grabbing man of the match as Liverpool knocked out Brighton on Saturday to reach the FA Cup fifth round.
Getting to this point hasn’t exactly been a breeze for Kerkez. He came in from Bournemouth last summer for £40 million and is expected to fill Andy Robertson’s shoes long-term. Not the easiest gig.
But Van Dijk has seen Kerkez settle in. The young left-back set up Curtis Jones for Liverpool’s opener against Brighton, and he’s starting to get what it means to play for this club.
“You can see he’s getting better,” Van Dijk said. “He’s so young, still getting used to being a Liverpool player, and it’s more than just playing football here. When the team’s up and down, it’s tough to show your best.
"But with Robbo helping him and the rest of us, plus his own hard work, he’s making real progress. There’s so much more for him to learn, which is great. He just needs to keep at it.
“He’s got loads of energy; he’s young, you know? We all had that when we were his age. He wants to learn.
"And the price tag? Nothing you can do about it. When I signed for £75 million, it was the same thing. Big money, but what can you do?”
Earlier in the season, Van Dijk often played the tough mentor, always talking to Kerkez, sometimes giving him blunt advice. It wasn’t always pretty to watch, but Van Dijk knew it was part of the process.
“I’ve had plenty of chats with him on the pitch; we need to work together, whether it’s covering for each other or sorting out positioning,” Van Dijk said.
"You have to understand each other, and Robbo and I had that for years. It comes with time and games.
"Of course, we talk on the pitch and behind the scenes just like everyone else. We’re all trying to be the best team we can be.”
Saturday wasn’t just about Kerkez, though. Mohamed Salah put on a show too, setting up Dominik Szoboszlai for the second and then winning and scoring the penalty for Liverpool’s third.
Not long ago, people worried that a home win over Brighton would be Salah’s last Liverpool match before heading to the Africa Cup of Nations, especially after he came out swinging with comments about being scapegoated and having no real relationship with Arne Slot.
Since then, things have calmed down. Salah came back from international duty with two goals and four assists in seven games.
Van Dijk knows just how much Salah means to Liverpool. “Mo is still huge for us. Last week, he got another assist and broke another record. As captain, having him around means a lot to me, and the team is better with him out there.
"He always brings more than goals, but people focus on his scoring. That’s the price of setting such high standards; if he isn’t banging them in, he gets stick.
"He just needs to stay calm and keep doing what he does, because he’s got so much more to give. He’s a big presence for us, on and off the pitch.”
Of course, people are still talking about Salah’s future. The Saudi Pro League is circling, ready to make another move for him this summer.
Van Dijk takes it as it comes. “It is what it is. All our focus is on making this season a success. We’ll see what happens after that.
"I always want Mo to stay. He’s a good friend; we’ve been through the highs and the not-so-highs together for years. I’m in the same spot with one more year left on my contract, so we’ll see.”
MOHAMED SALAH AND ALEXANDER ISAK RETURN FOR LIVERPOOL’S CLASH WITH MAN CITY
Liverpool receives a massive boost as Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak return to training ahead of the Man City clash.
Liverpool head into a make-or-break stretch feeling hopeful, and no wonder Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak are finally closing in on full fitness. With a big showdown against Pep Guardiola’s squad just around the corner, Arne Slot couldn’t have picked a better moment for some good news.
Salah and Isak are on the mend
Getting Salah and Isak back changes everything for Liverpool’s attack. Salah, who’s been out with a muscle injury, looks determined to return as soon as he can. Slot put it simply:
“He just does so much for his body for such a long time that he recovers so fast.”
You can see why people call Salah’s resilience legendary. The team needs it now more than ever as they try to steady a shaky title defence.
Isak’s recovery has been slower, but the Swedish striker finally joined team training after months out. Slot sounded upbeat:
“I think Alex is in a really good place because Sweden qualified for the World Cup yesterday evening, and apart from that, he’s going to train with the group again for the first time tomorrow.”
Attacking options are finally back
Liverpool’s attack has taken some hits lately. With Isak sidelined, Hugo Ekitike scored 16 goals in his first season, which isn’t too shabby. Still, Isak brings something different, and Slot knows it:
“It’s only his first session after three or four months, but it’s good to have him back. We all know we signed an incredible striker.”
Even if Isak eases in slowly, just having him available gives Liverpool a new edge. With Salah, Slot now has more firepower and flexibility up front. That could make a real difference in tight games.
Ongoing injury headaches
Of course, it’s not all perfect. Injuries keep disrupting the squad, especially in defence and between the posts. Jeremie Frimpong still needs more assessment after picking up a knock on international duty, and Alisson isn’t back yet. At least Federico Chiesa has returned to training, though Slot says they’re being careful:
“Alisson will be out for a bit longer, and Federico indeed came back from the national team, where he wasn’t able to play.”
So Liverpool still has to juggle absences and keep things steady, even as they get creative up front.
Huge weeks ahead
Liverpool sits fifth in the table after a rough title defence, so the next few weeks are massive. Getting Salah and Isak back might be the spark they need to turn things around.
Slot’s team has kept creating chances, but hasn’t always finished them off. These attacking reinforcements could flip that script quickly.
Liverpool has a shot to change their story this season, and the timing feels right. At this stage, if you’ve got fitness, form, and a bit of belief, sometimes that’s all you need. For Liverpool, maybe this is the moment where it all clicks.
ARNE SLOT FACES "FAREWELL TOUR" RUMORS AS LIVERPOOL’S UCL HOPES HANG BY THREAD
Arne Slot faces a dual farewell as Mohamed Salah prepares to leave Liverpool amidst a desperate Champions League race.
Mohamed Salah will surely want to end his time at Liverpool on a high note. That said, the newcomers Liverpool invested heavily in over the summer arguably have more riding on this final stretch when it comes to securing Champions League football.
Not long after Salah announced he’d be leaving, the wave of tributes started to dwindle. This is understandable since praising such a remarkable player only goes so far. To keep the conversation going, Salah shared a candid photo on social media, gazing fondly at his trophy cabinet at home. It’s classic Salah, unapologetically proud.
Make no mistake: he won’t be sneaking out of Anfield quietly. And that means everyone involved will feel caught up in what feels like his personal farewell tour.
Meanwhile, Arne Slot is probably rehearsing what to say. The timing of Salah’s departure announcement means he’s arrived late to this particular party, very late, in fact.
Jürgen Klopp, on the other hand, has already paid his respects in his own unique fashion, fondly recalling those glory days with Salah, Mane, and Firmino. “The Mo movie is a beautiful movie,” Klopp said. “It’s a beautiful movie with a happy ending. It will be a great day in mid-May when everyone is allowed to say goodbye. It will be pretty special.”
Sure, it should be pretty special. But none of that would feel particularly special if Liverpool’s final league match against Brentford becomes a showdown for a UEFA Conference League spot instead.
That’s an even tougher spot for Slot.
In a way, Klopp’s heartfelt tribute, coupled with the Salah news, might have come at just the right time for Slot. It distracted from an in-depth analysis of Liverpool’s defeat at Brighton.
Still, as Slot prepares to field questions about Salah’s prolonged farewell ahead of the FA Cup clash with Manchester City, one can’t blame him if he’s wondering whether there might be more than one farewell tour playing out over these remaining eight weeks.
Slot’s first season, crowned by winning the Premier League, should've earned him some goodwill, possibly excusing a disappointing follow-up season. But reality tends to be less forgiving.
What happens in the coming fixtures will shape Slot’s future. Without Champions League football secured for next season, it’s difficult to imagine him keeping his job.
To claim that Champions League spot, Slot needs Liverpool’s big-money signings to step up, not just Salah.
Let’s be honest: Salah’s personal ambitions are probably not tethered to Liverpool’s European fate anymore.
The real motivation lies with those new players who joined the Premier League champions at a premium price.
Take Florian Wirtz, for example; he put on an excellent two-goal display for Germany in their thrilling 4-3 win over Switzerland. Hugo Ekitike made an impact for France too, with appearances capped by a goal against Brazil, which should’ve given him momentum heading into Liverpool’s end-of-season push.
Alexander Isak, once the international break is over, will likely return to action as well.
While Salah might find extra drive in his farewell to give his best, Slot’s true hope rests on last summer’s headline signings living up to expectations in these final weeks.
If they don’t, Liverpool might face more than one farewell tour this season.
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