Garth Crooks names two Liverpool stars in his BBC team of the week column… but then BARELY mentions them as he uses it to lambast Luis Diaz and call for Ibrahima Konate red card

• Garth Crooks laid into Ibrahima Konate and Luis Diaz in his weekly BBC column
• The pundit named two Liverpool stars for praise but the plaudits were minimal
• Follow Mail Sport’s new Liverpool WhatsApp channel for all the breaking news

Garth Crooks named two Liverpool players in his infamous BBC Team of the Week column, but they didn’t come in for much praise amid a tirade against their team-mates.

Instead, Crooks used their sections to rip into Luis Diaz and Ibrahima Konate after their antics at the weekend. 

Liverpool beat Everton 2-0 at Anfield on Saturday thanks to two Mo Salah goals but the game was marred by controversy. 

Diaz rolled several times after Ashley Young fouled him, with the Everton player then being dismissed, and Konate was lucky to escape a sending-off later after a tactical foul on Beto while the Toffees counter-attacked and he was the last man.  

Virgil van Dijk and Salah were the chosen ones elevated to Crooks’s Team of the Week but he pulled no punches when it came to discussing their team-mates. 

Garth Crooks reserved column inches for extended criticism of Ibrahima Konate and Luis Diaz

He accused Diaz of rolling for ‘dramatic effect’ after Ashley Young’s challenge, which saw the Everton star sent off in the first half 

Konate was not sent off for a cynical foul against Beto despite already being on a yellow card

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He believed that if Young’s dismissal for a second bookable offence was necessary, then Konate also had to be given his marching orders after an earlier yellow card.  

‘Young’s tackle was a genuine one to try and win the ball. Konate’s challenge on Beto was cynical and crude,’ he wrote. 

‘[That is] what the yellow card was designed for but the Liverpool defender didn’t receive one for the challenge in question.’

Crooks did, however, praise Van Dijk for recapturing his form after a tricky spell last season. 

Moving on to Diaz, Crooks acused him of histrionics. 

He wrote: ‘Luiz Diaz rolled over at least five times for dramatic effect after Young had fouled him […] It’s time Salah had a word with Diaz.’

In the BBC columnist’s opinion, Salah has overcome the theatrics that he used to be accused of more often.

He described him as ‘back to his brilliant, unselfish, and supportive best’.

Crooks named Mo Salah, who scored two goals, among his front three in his Team of the Week

Virgil van Dijk earned a coveted spot in the BBC columnist’s back line and Crooks prasied him for regaining some semblance of his old form 

That sentiment was echoed by Mail Sport’s very own Chris Sutton, who outlined the forward’s credentials as Liverpool’s greatest-ever player. 

Meanwhile, referee Craig Pawson was also in the firing line of the former Spurs man. According to Crooks, he ‘failed to exercise any consistency’ with regards to how he dealt with Young and Konate.

The result sent Liverpool top of the table temporarily but they slipped back to fourth after other teams played. 

Meanwhile, Everton are mired in 16th after a challenging start to the campaign. 

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