Former Spurs player butchers Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, label them as ‘mediocre’ with its three key players just ‘average’.
Rafael van der Vaart, a former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, feels Liverpool stars Jordan Henderson, James Milner, and Joe Gomez are no better than ‘average,’ and that football fans have grown ‘blinded’ to the Reds’ squad’s weaknesses.
Jurgen Klopp’s side has started the new season poorly, winning only two of their first seven games in all competitions, and were humiliatingly beaten 4-1 by Napoli in the first round of UEFA Champions League matches last week, in what manager Jurgen Klopp described as the worst performance his team had delivered during his tenure.
Following the postponement of Saturday’s Premier League match against Wolves at Anfield due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the Reds meet Dutch champions Ajax at Anfield on Tuesday night in an attempt to get their European campaign and season back on track.
However, Van der Vaart, who played 37 times for Ajax in the Champions League, believes Liverpool are a ‘mediocre team.’
“I think we have become a bit blinded,’ the ex-Real Madrid playmaker said on Ziggo Sport.
“We suddenly think Jordan Henderson is an amazing player. He’s just a very average player. James Milner is also a very average player. Joe Gomez is also a very average player.
“Virgil van Dijk is top level, the right-back and left-back are also good. But if things don’t go well and their attackers don’t have their day, then I think it’s just a very mediocre team.”
Despite his criticism of the rest of the squad, Van der Vaart believes Ajax will be unable to win at Anfield if Liverpool strikers Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah perform to their potential.
“The only thing I’m afraid of at Ajax is if Díaz and Salah do have their day, then we have a problem.
“Then Ajax will never win. Certainly not at Anfield, I don’t think -centre-backs] Daley Blind and Devyne Rensch are good enough for that.”
The Champions League matches on Tuesday evening will be preceded by a minute’s silence for the Queen.
Former Spurs player butchers Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, label them as ‘mediocre’ with its three key players just ‘average’.
