Alisson becomes latest Liverpool star to lay into Pickford after his horror tackle on van Dijk

Alisson has become the latest of the Liverpool contingent to criticise Jordan Pickford for the reckless challenge that has ended Virgil van Dijk‘s season.

The Dutch defender required surgery on his knee after a poor challenge from the Everton goalkeeper in the Merseyside derby earlier this month saw him suffer serious anterior cruciate ligament damage.

Liverpool team-mates Adrian and Georginio Wijnaldum were already among the Anfield stars who insisted they could not defend the England No 1 for the tackle, with the latter labelling it ‘stupid’.

Now, speaking to Sky Sports, Brazilian Alisson admitted that while goalkeeper’s can have different techniques when tackling insisted that Pickford’s challenge was ‘an unnecessary moment’. 

‘Every goalkeeper has a different way to play, a different way to move, but on that moment 100 per cent it is not a necessary movement,’ he said.

‘But thinking what I have in my mind when I go for a situation, I go to finish the situation because if I go too soft I know the opponent can score.

‘Everyone has their own way to go for the ball. I don’t agree with that [Pickford’s] way, everybody can see that but yeh it was just an unnecessary moment and movement.’

Dutch international Wijnaldum was far more scathing in his assessment earlier this month, adding: ‘The way Pickford went in was completely stupid in my opinion.

‘I don’t believe he wanted to injure Virgil but the way he made the tackle he didn’t care about what happened after the tackle. It’s happened a lot in games against Everton.

‘In my opinion they take it too far in the games we play against them. I know it’s a derby and sometimes it goes over the top but it was too much. It was not the only tackle like that. Richarlison on Thiago was also a nasty one. That’s what annoys me the most.

‘Accidents can always happen in football. You can be unlucky and injure someone but the way they were doing it was completely unacceptable. It makes it even harder when they don’t get punished, in this case Pickford.’

Despite playing the same position as Pickford, 33-year-old Liverpool keeper Adrian admitted he could not find a viable way of finding an excuse for his Everton counterpart.

‘It was a very bad challenge in a very bad position of Virgil’s body,’ said the Reds shot-stopper to Sky Sports.

‘It was late. No player is allowed to do this kind of challenge.

‘I’m a goalkeeper and I always defend goalkeepers, but going for a ball like this in that case… I don’t know.

‘It’s not fair in that situation because he hasn’t got much chance to block the ball in that position, just to hurt the other player.’

Liverpool left Goodison Park with just one point after the game ended in a 2-2 draw, with Henderson’s stoppage-time winner ruled out due to a controversial offside call.

Everton keeper Pickford was not be punished for the challenge on Van Dijk as it was seen by referee Michael Oliver, leading to further fury at Anfield.

Liverpool were also livid after Pickford’s lunge went unpunished with David Coote, the official overseeing proceedings at Stockley Park, failing to look at whether Everton’s goalkeeper should have been dismissed.

Remarkably, Sportsmail was told earlier this month that Coote thought the offside — which he checked forensically — nullified what happened afterwards.

Sportsmail also revealed last week referee Michael Oliver and Coote will be scrutinised in an official mid-season review for the shocking decision not to send Pickford off.

Fabinho and Joe Gomez will deputise in van Dijk’s absence, but Liverpool’s injury crisis only seemed to worsen when the Brazilian suffered a hamstring victory in the victory against Midtjylland on Tuesday.

And while Fabinho – naturally a deep-lying midfielder – looks set to miss the crucial clash against Manchester City next weekend, reports have since emerged that his injury is not bad as first feared with concerns he could have been out for six months.