Shearer names Liverpool star who is ‘back to his best’ as he makes new Tottenham PL prediction
Alan Shearer thinks Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is “back to his best” after the Reds beat Brentford 3-0 on Sunday.
The Reds captain has had some criticism over the past year with the Dutch centre-back not reaching the high levels supporters had become accustomed to.
His poor form coincided with Liverpool’s own average season last campaign in which they finished fifth and outside of the Champions League places.
And Van Dijk admitted in April that his displays for Liverpool had been below par and accepted the criticism, he said: “No one is immune to criticism. If someone said that, they are lying.
“But when the criticism is there and you know it is right, the only thing you can do is keep your head down and focus on improving
“I know my performance has been going like the team has been going — up and down. I know I’m one of the players who is looked at, that I set a high standard over the last five years that it’s normal to be criticised.
“The only thing I can do is block the noise out and focus on how I deal with certain situations to be better.
“Over the past five years, excluding the year of my injury [the 2020-21 season where a knee injury limited him to seven appearances], I’ve been playing every three or four days to such a consistent level.
“I’m trying to get back to that — and I will get back it. I’m not worried about that.”
Van Dijk was impressive as Liverpool comfortably beat Brentford on Sunday and former Newcastle United striker Shearer now thinks the Netherlands international is “back to his best”.
Shearer said on The Rest is Football Podcast: “He did have a good game. He looked back to his best, he read the game very well. They are always going to score goals Liverpool, with the talent they have up top.”
Tottenham – who had set the early pace in the Premier League under Ange Postecoglou – are now three points adrift of leaders Manchester City after suffering back-to-back defeats against Chelsea and Wolves.
And Shearer reckons Spurs should be aiming to “finish fourth or fifth” this term after their latest injuries and suspensions highlighted their lack of depth.
Shearer wrote in his BBC Sport column: “To be beaten by two stoppage-time goals at Molineux on Saturday was a cruel way for Tottenham to suffer their second defeat of the week, but I never expected them to challenge for the title anyway.
“Even after losing to Chelsea and then Wolves, Spurs have still done much better than I expected.
“Their aim for this campaign has to be to finish fourth or fifth, which might be enough to secure Champions League football for next season, and I don’t feel that changed despite their strong start.”
