Garth Crooks has admitted that he 'sat with his mouth ajar' as James Milner and Virgil van Dijk clashed during Liverpool's 2-1 Premier League defeat against Manchester United.
Jurgen Klopp's side suffered their first defeat of the season at Old Trafford on August 22 - with Mohamed Salah grabbing a consolation goal after Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford scored for the hosts.
Sancho's opening goal in the 16th minute led to Milner confronting defender Van Dijk for his questionable positioning before the ball hit the back of the net, with captain Jordan Henderson also berating Salah after United's second goal of the clash.
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In the build-up to Sancho’s goal, Van Dijk had stayed in a central position in front of the Reds' goal with both hands behind his back, which allowed the United winger to pick his spot with a side-footed finish.
While Klopp was quick to dismiss Milner's bust-up with the Netherlands international, former Tottenham Hotspur man Crooks admitted that he was surprised by the incident.
"I sat with my mouth ajar as I watched Milner confront Van Dijk which, had it not been for the composure of the Dutch defender, might have got out of hand," said Crooks in the BBC Team of the Week column.
"This was later compounded by Jordan Henderson publicly berating Mohamed Salah in a way I had never seen before after Manchester United's second goal.
"When such frustration boils over, out of the dressing room and on to the pitch, it's a sure sign that all is not well - but it can also be the hallmark of a great team trying to heal themselves. Exactly where Liverpool are at the moment is difficult to tell - but we certainly will know by the end of the season."
Crooks also praised Van Dijk for remaining 'extremely professional' during the confrontation, while also criticising Milner for his reaction to the goal.
He added: "I thought he [Van Dijk] handled himself extremely professionally under enormous provocation from team-mate James Milner at Old Trafford last week.
"I'm not saying Milner didn't have his reasons for berating Van Dijk for Manchester United's first goal, but there are better ways of doing it.
"However, Van Dijk and Liverpool seem to have put that performance very much behind them and took Bournemouth apart as a consequence. As for Scotty Parker and his team, this defeat will take some getting over."
Liverpool responded well to their defeat against Man United by thrashing Bournemouth 9-0 at Anfield on Saturday, with Cherries boss Parker sacked just three days later.
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