Virgil van Dijk consistently steps forward to face the music. Even following a match where his own display has fallen short of expectations, he speaks candidly. As he acknowledges, he has been repeating the same message - offering apologies for substandard Liverpool performances - far too frequently. However, it seemed somewhat different in the immediate aftermath of the comprehensive FA Cup defeat to Manchester City.

The reality that the side he captains performed admirably for more than half an hour before collapsing made this reverse particularly agonising. He selects his words with care, which is why one remark rang like a warning signal. Discussing the beginning of the second half, which Liverpool started two goals behind, Van Dijk said: "Obviously you come out of the dressing room with the right intentions to score and make it 2-1 and change the game.

"But the opposite happened and then to come back from 3-0 is obviously very difficult here. But also you shouldn't give up, and that's maybe what happened at a certain point." The supporters undoubtedly gave up, departing in significant numbers well before...