Virgil van Dijk was at the scene of the crime far too many times during Liverpool’s shambolic last-gasp defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday.

The Reds’ captain has had a disappointing season by his own sky-high standards and must shoulder at least some of the responsibility for another Liverpool collapse.

The first Bournemouth goal was completely of his own making as Van Dijk failed to deal with a simple ball over the top. That changed the trajectory of the game, and although he did manage to get on the scoresheet, his work at the back was rickety all evening.

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Perhaps there is some mitigation in that he was playing with an unfamiliar partner in Wataru Endo for much of the match, but that is exactly the type of situation in which Liverpool need their skipper to step up.

Unfortunately, Van Dijk could not rise to the challenge, and according to former Reds defender Steve Nicol, there can be no excuse for turning in such an insipid performance.

Although one player is never solely to blame for a litany of errors such as the...