After Liverpool were eliminated from the FA Cup by Man City, comments made by Virgil van Dijk about his team’s performance were met with widespread criticism.

Before we fully delete those 90 minutes from our collective memory, it’s worth looking again at what the captain was saying after the final whistle. He suggested Liverpool gave up when the margin became too wide to realistically overcome.

Steve Nicol claims Van Dijk is spent, and now two Man United legends — Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt — have had their say, with the latter going in on the Dutchman despite his status as a Premier League great.

Giving away a penalty and lacking his usual composure, Van Dijk was singled out by Liverpool fans as one of the worst performers at the weekend.

As the man wearing the armband, Van Dijk has fronted up to the media more than most this season. He is generally quite honest and self-critical, but this was different.

He said after the game: “You shouldn’t give up...