Former Gent and Anderlecht manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck has criticised Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, accusing the Dutch defender of caring only about his own image and leaving left-back Milos Kerkez exposed.
Liverpool have suffered three defeats in all competitions this season. They lost 3-0 to Manchester City and 1-0 to Arsenal, before losing 3-2 to Fenerbahce in the Champions League after leading 2-1 and conceding twice in the closing stages. The defensive problems in Andoni Iraola's side have become apparent to European observers.
Vanhaezebrouck believes Club Brugge can exploit Liverpool's vulnerability on the left side of their defence when the teams meet in the Champions League on 25 November.
The Belgian coach was blunt in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad:
Who should provide cover in defence? That is Virgil van Dijk's responsibility, but he doesn't do it. He simply doesn't want to take risks and look foolish in the eyes of the public, so he leaves his left-back to fend for himself.
He also explained how the Belgian club should approach the game:
The main thing to avoid against Liverpool is falling behind. The Reds usually play a high defensive line, which suits Club Brugge very well. However, as soon as they take the lead, as happened against Brighton, they change gear, drop back and wait for the opposition.
By Vanhaezebrouck's calculations, Club Brugge need just one point to reach the competition's top 24, while they would need seven or eight points from their four remaining matches to challenge for a direct place in the last 16.
