Gullit: Sloter and Van Dijk want to regain Liverpool s winning halo, Klopp s return is not suitable

November 11th: Famous player Rudy Gullit talked about Slott’s dilemma in Liverpool and Van Dyke’s performance.

You must have paid attention to Slott's performance in the Eredivisie. Has he experienced a similar trough in Liverpool? Does he have what it takes to turn things around?

Gullit: No, this is the first time. Now he needs to prove his worth. If I win, I'm always right. But now is a critical moment to see how he handles that resistance and gets the team back on track. But it takes time. People are no longer afraid of Liverpool, that aura is gone and it will take time to get it back.

He is being criticized at the moment and we know he can lead a team to the Premier League title, but do you think he has the ability to lead a team that is at the bottom like Liverpool right now out of trouble?

Gullit: He has to work hard and prove it now, and now you will see what you will do in order to get this resistance and this team back on track. But it will take some time. People are no longer afraid of Liverpool. That momentum is gone and it will take some time to regain it.

How important is Van Dijk's status in this situation? Is age starting to take its toll on him, or is there still a second chance for him?

Gullit: I think he had some difficult times after his injury. He recovered well last year, but since that injury he has seemed reluctant to make tackles and contests. Opponents also found ways to deal with him. Now he needs to find his way again. I remember when I was injured, I needed to adjust myself as well.

Van Dijk has received a lot of criticism in the Netherlands, but is regarded in England as one of the best defenders in Premier League history. Are Dutch critics a bit harsh? Why don't they like him?

Gullit: I think he did have some difficult times after his injury. He recovered well last year, but since that injury he has seemed reluctant to make tackles and contests. Opponents also found ways to deal with him. Now he needs to find his way again. I remember when I was injured, I needed to adjust myself as well.

There is now a lot of criticism of Van Dijk's performance in England. Of course, being Dutch, I hope he does well. I've criticized him in the past, two years ago, because he was their best player. If you're a good player, it's easy for me as a commentator to criticize someone who's not at the level he should be. But I will criticize him because he is the best. If you are the best, you need to help others, it is your duty. He didn't like my criticism at the time, but now he needs to find himself again and he can do it, he's a good player.

Do you think Van Dijk is conserving his energy for the World Cup?

Gullit: No, he is not conserving his energy. I think he wants to perform well because he's a good defender. But I think he's changed since that injury. The injury was serious and opponents found ways to deal with him. Now he needs to find a way to prove himself again. I also remember when I got injured, I took six months off and when I came back I said I was different and I needed to adjust. This relieved a lot of stress and I slowly got back into shape. You might have a good game or a bad game, that's normal. So he needs to prove himself again. I criticized him two years ago. He doesn't like that, no one likes to be criticized, I understand. But he must face the criticism.

Do you think Klopp will come back? He recently said he might consider a return to Liverpool in the future.

Gullit: It’s too dangerous to say this now. If you say this now, it will make those emotional people look forward to it. I don't think you will have the same circumstances and results. This is very dangerous. The danger is that it's hard to achieve the same thing again. So I don't think Klopp should do this for the sake of his legendary career. I like Klopp a lot and I hope he maintains his current aura. If he wants to leave, go somewhere else.

Do you think he should go somewhere else?

Gullit: He can go somewhere else, or it can end like this. I think he ended his coaching career in a sensational way, which is the best ending. I hope he leaves his legacy like this.