Florian Wirtz disputes Virgil van Dijk claim after FA Cup defeat
Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz has publicly disagreed with captain Virgil van Dijk’s assertion that the team gave up during their 4-0 FA Cup defeat by Manchester City at the Etihad.
The Reds were outclassed by their rivals in a heavy loss that saw Erling Haaland score a hat-trick alongside a strike from Antoine Semenyo.
Following the chastening exit, Van Dijk offered a scathing assessment of the squad’s attitude and suggested the players had stopped trying.
However, the club’s record signing insists the team did not down tools despite the overwhelming deficit.
Conflicting views in the dressing room
Wirtz explained he had not heard his captain’s remarks but immediately moved to defend the squad’s effort levels.
“I wouldn’t agree directly because we still tried to create chances to turn the game around,” the German told reporters.
The international playmaker acknowledged the mental difficulty of trailing by three goals late in the match but maintained they continued to push forward.
“Of course it’s not our standards that we lose 4-0 against City,” he added.
Manager Arne Slot surprisingly sided with his skipper, admitting he felt a distinct lack of fighting spirit early in the second half.
Pressure mounts on struggling Slot
The Dutch tactician is facing increasing scrutiny despite winning the Premier League title during his debut campaign at Anfield last season.
A massive summer rebuild saw the Merseyside club spend over £400m, including breaking the British transfer record to secure Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen.
Despite these vast investments, the team has endured a difficult run of form and is now battling simply to secure Champions League qualification.
Nevertheless, the former Bundesliga star remains adamant that the dressing room is fully united behind their under-fire manager.
“We are believing in the manager, the team should believe in the manager as they won the league last season,” Wirtz concluded.
