Virgil van Dijk: Is the Liverpool Colossus Experiencing a Decline?
Virgil van Dijk has been a shining light for Liverpool throughout the most decorated period of the club’s recent history. The Dutch captain has been an ever-present figure in the Reds’ defence and was instrumental in helping them lift a sixth European Cup and end a 30-year wait for the league title. However, for the first time in his Liverpool career, Van Dijk has had a spotlight shone on him in a scrutinising manner to which he’s not accustomed.
Van Dijk’s remarkable 70-match unbeaten home record in the Premier League came to an end in October’s 2-1 defeat to Leeds, and individual and collective struggles since have led to rare bouts of genuine criticism towards the 31-year-old. But is his form a genuine cause for concern among supporters or merely a bump in the road?
Superpowers Exposed?
Van Dijk’s indestructible aura at the back earned him a reputation of being impossible to dribble around, something which the stats backed up and quickly became a borderline meme. During the 2018/19 season in which Liverpool hit 97 points, lifted a European Cup and Van Dijk was awarded PFA Player of the Year, the defender was not dribbled past all season.
Now, Van Dijk has shown himself to be beatable by forwards and when that becomes the case for a talismanic centre-back it can have devastating consequences. Alisson being voted the clubs’ Player of the Season said as much for Liverpool’s defensive woes as it did for the Brazilian’s brilliance, but the holy goalie could do nothing to prevent Bournemouth‘s winning goal in March.
A Predictable Reality Check
Van Dijk admitted in March to playing “too many games” over the past couple of seasons, an issue that even the least-observant Liverpool supporter could have foreseen given the side’s reliance on him. Aside from the horrific ACL injury he sustained in 2020, Liverpool’s No. 4 has had an almost blemish-free fitness record while others around him have wrestled with various issues. But starting 51 games in the season after his long-term injury, was far too much. Quite simply, he was overplayed.
Too Soon for Panic
When you have performed at the level Van Dijk has for such a sustained period of time any drop-off is magnified and warrants investigation, particularly at a club as high-profile as Liverpool. In the same way that Klopp has earned enough credit to have his future remain unquestioned despite a lacklustre campaign, Van Dijk’s importance to this team need not face any debate next season. The defender experienced his worst season in a Liverpool shirt and that will clearly provoke questions whether he likes it or not, but he was far from the only one and a lack of self-belief across the squad quickly became contagious. Great players find a way to overcome obstacles even in the most trying of circumstances and we have a significant body of evidence to suggest that Van Dijk falls under that category.
Conclusion
Van Dijk’s relative decline in form is something for supporters and staff to ponder and is an understandable cause for concern, but you can bet your life that the centre-back is experiencing absolutely zero doubts over his own capabilities. Klopp (and Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman) must find a way to give the 31-year-old a rest without compromising the quality of the backline and for that, they will need reinforcements be it this summer or next.
Van Dijk can remain one of the club’s most important players and is fully capable of returning to the heights he has hit in the past, but he simply cannot continue to be relied upon quite so heavily as he approaches his twilight years. When you have performed at the level Van Dijk has for such a sustained period of time any drop-off is magnified and warrants investigation, but it would be premature to write off one of Liverpool’s greatest ever defenders just yet.