Coach Arne Slot and Van Dijk disagree after Liverpool's loss in the Community Shield

After the defeat against Crystal Palace on the night of August 10, there were surprisingly conflicting views within Liverpool between captain Van Dijk and coach Arne Slot.

Center-back Van Dijk believes Liverpool need to add more strikers - Photo: REUTERS

In the Community Shield match last night, Liverpool lost to Crystal Palace 2-3 on penalties (2-2 draw after 90 minutes) at Wembley Stadium.

Immediately after the match ended, captain Van Dijk said the team needed to add another striker, but coach Arne Slot affirmed that the attack was not an urgent problem.

Although Liverpool has spent up to 409 million USD on 5 new players, including the 170 million USD blockbuster Florian Wirtz and striker Hugo Ekitike, Van Dijk still does not feel secure. The Dutch midfielder pointed out that the departures of Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, along with Diogo Jota's death in a car accident have left a big gap in the attack.

"I think there is always room for another striker to strengthen the team," Van Dijk told talkSPORT.

This view completely matches the rumors that Liverpool are pursuing Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, despite the price tag of up to 200 million USD.

In contrast to the captain, coach Arne Slot has a different view. He believes that the team's problem does not lie in the attack. "I think we have enough options to win this Community Shield. In fact, today we scored two goals, while the team only scored one goal in two matches against Crystal Palace last season. So my biggest concern right now is not the quality of the attack," said Arne Slot.

Arne Slot believes that defense is the position Liverpool needs to strengthen - Photo: REUTERS

Instead, manager Arne Slot stressed that the defence was the biggest concern. Liverpool kept just one clean sheet in pre-season. The sale of Jarell Quansah, combined with injuries to Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez, has left the defence more fragile than ever.

Despite promising new signings like Wirtz and Ekitike, the penalty shootout defeat to Crystal Palace showed Liverpool still have work to do.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hlv-arne-slot-va-van-dijk-bat-dong-sau-tran-thua-cua-liverpool-tai-sieu-cup-england-20250811081608758.htm