Former Everton striker Wayne Rooney questioned Virgil van Dijk's decision to bring up Liverpool's upcoming 12.30pm kick-off in the aftermath of the Reds' defeat at Goodison Park.
Liverpool were beaten 2-0 by Sean Dyche's Everton, with Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin on-target. The result leaves Jurgen Klopp's side needing Arsenal and Manchester City to both slip up if they're to stand any chance of winning the Premier League title for the first time since 2020.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the loss, Van Dijk made reference to the early kick-off time for Saturday's trip to West Ham. It will be the Reds' sixth Saturday lunchtime kickoff of the season, albeit just their second of 2024 after a victory at Brentford in February.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, who is in his final season in charge, has hit out at schedulers over the early kick-offs in the past. Rooney had no time for Van Dijk bringing up the timing of the West Ham game, though, indicating Klopp's team ought to want to put Wednesday's defeat behind them as soon as possible.
“I think the worrying thing there is - and I think it’s happened a lot throughout the season as well is - the captain saying about Liverpool getting outfought, but again we're hearing about 12.30 kickoffs after they’ve lost a derby," Rooney told Sky Sports. "That Liverpool team should want to be out there tomorrow morning to get the next game going.
"When you lose a game, especially a derby game, you should want the next game to come quick. But we’ve heard it so many times, about Liverpool and 12.30 kickoffs. Get on with it! That's part of your job. You should be ready to play."
Liverpool have four wins and a draw from their five Saturday 12.30 kick-offs this term. However, one of those games - a clash with title rivals Manchester City in November - prompted a vigorous response from Klopp.
Do you agree with Wayne Rooney? Have your say in the comments section
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Visionhaus/Getty Images)“OK, no one can say at the moment, but how can you put a game like this on Saturday at 12.30pm?” the German said at the time. "Honestly, the people making the decisions, they cannot feel football, it’s just not possible.
"And if that’s the moment where the world pays the most to see a football game then nobody has told us. I don’t know if that’s the case, I really don’t."
As for the Everton defeat on Wednesday, Klopp was brutally honest in his assessment. "Nothing more to say about this tonight, we conceded two goals from set pieces and we know it is one of their strengths," he told Match of the Day.
"The second one is a routine they use all season. It makes no sense. I thought we found a way into the game and pushed them back, created massive chances and didn't use one of them. We conceded a second goal then and we lost momentum. We couldn't turn it around, it just wasn't good enough. That is the truth."
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