Comparisons with Philippe Coutinho show Virgil Van Dijk in negative light
When Liverpool fans witnessed the mixed back of a Christmas cracker they pulled just before the big day when they traveled to Arsenal and came away with a point, the present they opened just days afterwards was just what they wanted.
Or at least just what they needed.
This year, just as last year, the Reds have one glaring problem that is clearly in dire need of sorting. And in the summer, the only addition to an already-creaky defence was Andy Robertson at full-back, who has been overlooked by Alberto Moreno when the Spaniard is fit. Moreno may have improved somewhat at times this season, but it’s hard to escape the feeling that this year is a step down from last year, even, when James Milner was filling in under duress.
That’s probably why the transfer fee for Virgil van Dijk is so high: a world-record fee for a defender. Liverpool simply had to pay it and sort out a problem that’s been plaguing them for so long. The Dutchman will provide leadership and competence to a backline with neither. He will bring out the best in Joel Matip, who can play his naturally elegant game safe in the knowledge that he’s not the main man at centre-back.
And he will also give a bit of respite to Dejan Lovren, who has gamely soldiered on despite a raft of terrible performances coupled with some horrendous personal problems and painkilling injections just to play for the club: it might be a stretch, but the transition to understudy might allow the Croatian to find a bit of form again. At the very least, he should find himself out of the line of fire for the most part.
There can be no doubt that Virgil van Dijk is one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, and there are serious reasons to believe that he can provide more for Liverpool than simply one better centre-back. There’s a school of thought which holds that adding a new centre-back to the Anfield outfit will add no benefit since the main defensive deficiencies stem from systematic problems such as marking from set-plays and shape. That might be true, but don’t underestimate the lift that the addition of a leader can have in the defence.
And yet, there is still one niggling doubt about Van Dijk, particularly this season: and one that is best described through comparison to his new teammate (though perhaps not for long), Philippe Coutinho.
In the summer, both men were in a strikingly similar position. Both were subject of interest from what most would agree were ‘bigger’ clubs in some way. Liverpool are undoubtedly a bigger club than Southampton and being attracted to that offer makes logical sense. Whilst for a South American like Coutinho, the chance to play with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Barcelona, a worldwide brand never mind a football club, is clearly just as tempting. Both were also subject to rather large bids, too. Liverpool turned down a number of bids, the largest of which was reported to be in the region of £114m. Southampton held out after bids, reportedly of £60m, in July.
Both players clearly wanted to leave, and neither player started the season – a situation which would have angered many onlookers, and perhaps even the Premier League itself, as some of their top clubs were missing recognisable stars thanks to petty transfer wrangling. But what happened next is interesting.
Instead of getting back in the saddle and performing to the same standard as he had done last season, Virgil van Dijk has played just 11 times for his side this season, finding himself in and out of the team to begin with before playing for most of November and the first half of December before his move. Worse still, aside from the three minutes he played against Crystal Palace in September, Van Dijk has only been involved in one clean sheet all season in a game he started – a home win over struggling West Brom in October.
Coutinho, meanwhile, has reintegrated himself into the Liverpool team and won over the fans with his performances. He has contributed greatly to one of the most feared attacks in world football not to mention one of the most exciting teams in the Premier League. He has pitched in with seven goals and six assists. Whatever you think about the way he handled his summer situation, you have to admire his attempts to let his football make amends, and if anyone can ever earn a move just months after signing a new long-term contract, it’s surely the Brazilian.
The situations are different. Coutinho has had Champions League football to pick himself up for, and there’s also perhaps an extra motivation to perform in order to make sure that Barcelona keep their interest in him. Van Dijk, meanwhile, has been asked to perform in a struggling team under a new manager who can’t seem to get it right.
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But they’re also quite similar. And yet the reactions of both players have seemed to be polar opposites.
There’s no doubt that Virgil van Dijk can and probably will improve Liverpool’s defence. He is a signing worth making because he’s a long-term target who plays in a position in dire need. And yet his attitude, especially in comparison to Coutinho should send alarm bells ringing just a little bit: just imagine what would have happened if the Brazilian had done the same thing this autumn.