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Wayne Rooney was displeased with Virgil van Dijk's comments after the Liverpool captain led the Reds to a 2-0 loss against eternal rivals Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday, April 24.
It was a match that went in a shocking direction as the second-placed team were beaten by relegation candidates. While the Toffees had very little possession (23% to the Reds' 77%), they dominated their opponents for much of the game. The hosts created more big chances, were more fearless, won more duels, and provided a defensive masterclass that stumped Jurgen Klopp's men.
Afterwards, an unhappy Virgil van Dijk spoke to the press about how poor his team's performance had been. He went on to add that the next game was now on their minds (via Sport Bible):
"It's time to focus on the 12:30 kick-off again."
However, this has been seen as a dig in reference to Liverpool consistently getting early kick-off times on Saturday afternoons. This is also something Jurgen Klopp has regularly had complaints about.
Wayne Rooney, speaking on Sky Sports, reacted to Van Dijk's comments. The Manchester United legend said (Sport Bible):
"That Liverpool team should be wanting to be on the pitch tomorrow. I think the worrying thing there - and I think it's happened a lot throughout the season as well. He's the captain and he's talking about Liverpool getting outfought but again we're hearing about 12:30 kick-offs after he's just lost a derby."
Rooney continued, lashing out at Jurgen Klopp's men, berating them for the Everton loss and the early kickoff conversation:
"That Liverpool team should be wanting to be on the pitch tomorrow morning to get the next game going. When you lose a game, especially a derby game, you want the next game to come quick. We've heard it so many times this season with Liverpool about 12:30 kick-offs. Get on with it! That's part of your job! Get on with it and you should be ready to play."
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp apologizes for defeat to Everton
Everton were the better side in an outing that saw their opponents stumble and fail to meet expectations. The Toffees scored first through Jarrad Branthwaite in the 27th minute before sealing the deal just before the hour mark through Dominic Calvert-Lewin (58').
Speaking after the game, Klopp apologized for the Reds' shoddy display (via Eurosport):
"I don't know. I can only apologise for today to the people. We should have done better but we didn't and that's why we lost. We created a lot and didn’t score, and then second half, emotions, we are in a rush, not really clear enough. It was free-kick after free-kick. That was part of the story. But we weren't good enough."
In their remaining four fixtures of the season, the Reds have to face West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, and Wolves. They will look to win all of these matches, while hoping their title rivals drop points.
