"There's just a passiveness" - Pundit claims Liverpool superstar has become a 'problem' for Jurgen Klopp this season

Pundit Richard Dunne has claimed that Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has become a problem for the Reds due to his lackluster performances.

Van Dijk, once considered one of the best defenders in the world, has seen his standards drop drastically this season.

Former Ireland captain Dunne believes that the Dutchman is yet to recover from the hamstring injury that kept the Dutchman out for five games. He further added that Van Dijk has become passive, saying (via Sports JOE):

"The problem is possibly van Dijk... They need to build a defence around Konate rather than van Dijk. I don't think he's recovered from his injury. When players run at him, he doesn't put a tackle in anymore."

He added:

"You always see him putting his hands out saying 'someone else should have done better,' you don't see him intercepting anymore. There's just a passiveness to his whole game."

The criticism comes following the Reds' disastrous performance against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg showdown at Anfield on February 21.

Despite taking an early 2-0 lead, Jurgen Klopp's team collapsed to a 5-2 defeat. Their defensive issues were the main reason behind Liverpool's downfall.

Van Dijk, the leader of the team's back line, has come under fire. The Dutchman has played 18 Premier League games for the Reds this term and has helped the team keep five clean sheets.

---

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hopes defeat against Real Madrid doesn't damage the team

The 5-2 loss against Real Madrid was the first time Liverpool conceded five goals in a UEFA Champions League match. A loss of that pedigree could certainly hurt the team.

Klopp acknowledged that the team's performance was much worse than the final in Paris last year, where the Reds lost 1-0 against Los Blancos.

The German manager, however, vowed not to let the loss impact his player. He said (via the Reds' official website):

"It's a different game than in Paris, of course, but anyway the intensity, the effort we showed, the football we played, pretty much everything was like how we want to see ourselves so we have to make sure that we keep that. I know, 5-2 could be damaging, but I hope I can make sure that is not happening."

Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah were the goalscorers for Liverpool against Real Madrid. However, a brace each from Vinicius Jr. and Karim Benzema and one goal from Eder Militao secured a big win for the Spanish side.