Virgil van Dijk appears to have put last season's troubles behind him and played a key role in Liverpool's revival. Photo: Getty Images/Charlotte Wilson
If Liverpool are to challenge for the title this season, Virgil van Dijk must re-establish himself as the team's figurehead.
The encouraging news for Jurgen Klopp is that he is doing it. Apart from a poor day against Newcastle United, Van Dijk's form has been an overlooked feature of Liverpool's encouraging start.
It was a timely response because for the first time in his Anfield career, Van Dijk had to silence doubters. By his standards, the last 12 months have been bad. But we must not forget how extremely high these standards are.
Approaching the sixth anniversary of his Liverpool debut, when he scored in the FA Cup against Saturday's opponents Everton, Van Dijk has yet to lose just one Premier League game. in front of the Anfield crowd. Liverpool had never managed to score more than 90 points with Van Dijk always present until last season.
Many argue that Van Dijk has changed since suffering a serious knee injury in the Merseyside derby in October 2020. This is a rewriting of history. He was superb in the 2021/22 season, taking two wins out of a quadruple. Even the controversial recent defeat to Spurs was only Van Dijk's third defeat in his last 21 league appearances.
In the long term, knee surgery may have actually paid off, but recent negative assessments are based on how good Van Dijk is. This is the player who was unlucky enough to finish second to Lionel Messi in the Ballon d'Or voting in 2019 — a rare accolade for a centre-back.
«Centre back has become the most demanding position»< p>Defensively, Van Dijk has gone from superman to man. He remains one of the top four center backs in the Premier League.
From 2018 to 2021, Van Dijk performed at a level I have never seen from a center back. The only Premier League centre-back who can come close to this figure is John Terry. There was no weakness. He made it simple.
Being a central defender at a top club has never been so difficult. This position has become the most difficult on the field. 20 years ago we didn't have to defend on the halfway line and we weren't expected to receive the ball in our six-yard box. You now need the speed of a striker and the technical ability of a midfielder along with all the other assets.
There were mitigating factors for Van Dijk's struggles last season, particularly as Liverpool did not have a functioning midfield that could defend defense .
I also agree with Van Dijk's self-assessment that it took longer than expected to fully understand what a return might take away from him as he dealt with the demands of the match and the expectations to return to his best form unimpeded, especially given that that the 2022 World Cup has changed the configuration of the team. calendar. We cannot underestimate the physical impact and Van Dijk is well-qualified to warn elite footballers about fatigue.
Van Dijk paid a heavy price for playing too many games
A report last year from global footballers' body Fifpro found that no player at the 2022 World Cup had played more football than Van Dijk before the tournament. From July 2021 to 24 October 2022, Van Dijk played 78 games for club and country, totaling 7,597 minutes. Immediately after returning from Qatar, he pulled his hamstring.
This scene immediately followed his return to Liverpool, so Van Dijk must have thought he was appealing to a sympathetic audience with common sense when he raised the issue of too many plays in too many games. little time.
“In England we think the schedules are too busy,” Van Dijk said during the international break. “Players are paid well, but this should never come at the expense of our health. We have to play more and more games. We as players need to start talking about this and contribute to the solution.»
I applaud Van Dijk for these words. I'm puzzled that anyone disagrees. The increasing pressure on top-flight international players is ludicrous and unforgiving, with the expansion of international competitions such as the UEFA Nations League and the revamped FIFA Club World Cup on the horizon. Those who say that traffic jams are eased by “large squads” or are justified by the high salaries of football players are talking nonsense.
The squads may be larger, but the managers of the biggest clubs are forced to win every match, so choose as many of the strongest squads as possible. They will be killed if they don't do this. Some players in positions such as center back are rarely, if ever, included in the rotation process. When it comes to salaries, good pay does not mean the body is more prepared for increased physical demands.
As his numbers show, one of Van Dijk's greatest qualities since he joined Liverpool in 2018 year, is its availability. .
Eventually something has to give. Careers will be cut short if players are constantly expected to play so much in a short period of time. A perfect example is Eden Hazard, who retired at 32, having played 647 games for the senior team before moving to Real Madrid at the age of 28.
Unfortunately, more cases like this will be needed Hazard, before anyone notices this.
Van Dijk's calendar isn't set to shorten any time soon — a vital midweek Netherlands goal will help him qualify for Euro 2024 — so his remarks serve the next generation of footballers more than his own.
Dutchman Performances are crucial importance for Liverpool to achieve the main goal of this year's Premier League, which, despite a great start, continues to finish in the top four.
“The next Van Dijk trophy will be as rewarding as any other”
The only way Liverpool — or anyone else — can win the Premier League is if Manchester City falters. City's recent defeats to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal have given others a glimmer of hope.
If Liverpool can take advantage, it will exceed pre-season expectations. Arsenal are considered City's most likely choice. Are Arsenal better than Liverpool? We'll find out by Christmas.
Liverpool's attacking options are daunting, but they still concede too many goals and will continue to do so until Klopp solves his long-standing midfield problem — he needs a number six. duel with Arsenal. I still think they are in contention for second place.
As Liverpool's new captain, Van Dijk's next trophy at Anfield will be as rewarding as any. He may feel that time is running out. His contract expires in 2025. Given he will be almost 34 by then, Fenway Sports Group's model suggests he is unlikely to get another one on the same terms (in excess of £300,000 a week) he commands now.
There has been much speculation about how and when Liverpool would ever replace Van Dijk. Chelsea's Thiago Silva proves that age can be just a number for the greatest centre-backs.
Liverpool are unlikely to ever find a defender comparable to the one they signed in 2018, but the young defender is not inferior to Van Dijk. in 2023 will cost £75 million.
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