Virgil van Dijk | Performances

bosnian_red

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At this level, he is over peak Ferdinand, Vidic and Terry, just comparable to peak Kompany around 2011 IMO. Im not discrediting the players aforementioned, just showing how good Van Dijk is at the moment.
Peak Kompany is not on the same level as peak Rio, Vidic and Terry. Also Van Dijk over the past 2 years is better than peak Kompany (though he was class himself). Winning the CL puts Van Dijk up there with the best in the prem though (IMO that's Rio, Vidic, Terry, Stam).
 

VorZakone

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Football is funny. Peak Kompany was fantastic but he couldn't reach a CL final. Van Dijk did it twice in a row and won 1.
 

SquishyMcSquish

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Ok..?

Van Djik was literally voted POTY in the Premier League for a central defender. He was incredible and crucial to his side getting 97 points. He also won the champions league, and was absolutely crucial to that as well.

You're a City fan, so obviously hugely biased. I don't like Liverpool and I don't like VVD, but he's been a behemoth this season. Peak Kompany was excellent but if you don't even think it's worthy of a debate then you're straight up delusional about it, sorry. You really can't get much better as a defender than Van Djik has been this season, pretty much every game I've watched he's been sensational.

VVD is getting all these plaudits for a reason - pundits, experts, managers, players etc from all levels are saying similar things about him. I mean for feck sake he'll be up there for Ballon d'or this year.
 

BobbyManc

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Ok..?

Van Djik was literally voted POTY in the Premier League for a central defender. He was incredible and crucial to his side getting 97 points. He also won the champions league, and was absolutely crucial to that as well.

You're a City fan, so obviously hugely biased. I don't like Liverpool and I don't like VVD, but he's been a behemoth this season. Peak Kompany was excellent but if you don't even think it's worthy of a debate then you're straight up delusional about it, sorry. You really can't get much better as a defender than Van Djik has been this season, pretty much every game I've watched he's been sensational.

VVD is getting all these plaudits for a reason - pundits, experts, managers, players etc from all levels are saying similar things about him. I mean for feck sake he'll be up there for Ballon d'or this year.

At his peak Kompany was immense and even with all his injury problems and the power and pace it's taken off him, he has still come in when needed and done an excellent job in recent seasons. He's 33 and had a body made of glass and yet in one of the most intense title races in English football history he came in at the end of the season and was a pivotal part in the team going unbeaten and keeping numerous clean sheets in the final matches. Plus, who can forget his goal v Leicester? Big man for the big occasion.

van Dijk has been phenomenally consistent this year and deserves all his plaudits he is getting, albeit he is receiving a slightly inflated amount of attention although that's probably due to his price tag; someone like Vidic never got the amount of hype around him van Dijk has had this season. There's no doubt if van Dijk keeps up this level of performances for the next few years then he'll be in the debate as possibly the greatest CB the Premier League era has seen, and one of Europe's best too.
 

Keeps It tidy

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That's like saying Lindelof this season > peak Ferdinand. That's how ridiculous that opinion sounds to a City fan.
You guys just had your second highest point total ever and one of the lowest goals conceded numbers you ever had. United had its worst goals conceded in a season since 1978-1979. So not really comparable.
 

SquishyMcSquish

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At his peak Kompany was immense and even with all his injury problems and the power and pace it's taken off him, he has still come in when needed and done an excellent job in recent seasons. He's 33 and had a body made of glass and yet in one of the most intense title races in English football history he came in at the end of the season and was a pivotal part in the team going unbeaten and keeping numerous clean sheets in the final matches. Plus, who can forget his goal v Leicester? Big man for the big occasion.

van Dijk has been phenomenally consistent this year and deserves all his plaudits he is getting, albeit he is receiving a slightly inflated amount of attention although that's probably due to his price tag; someone like Vidic never got the amount of hype around him van Dijk has had this season. There's no doubt if van Dijk keeps up this level of performances for the next few years then he'll be in the debate as possibly the greatest CB the Premier League era has seen, and one of Europe's best too.

And I have no issue with Kompany being in the debate. They're both top defenders .. the whole stupid 'i dont want to live on this planet anymore' stuff like it's not even a discussion is just biased silliness.

Kompany was excellent and is one of the best PL era defenders I can recall watching at his peak. I rate him a little bit below VVD in terms of their respective peaks, but certainly not far ahead and I have no issue with people who believe the reverse.

Again, I think VVD has had a better season than Vidic ever did, hence the hype. That doesn't mean he'll consistently be this good, but I do think we're looking at the best individual season a CB has had in the PL era. Maybe some of that is hype but I'm simply going off what I've seen from him compared to other defenders, and he's been basically unreal most weeks. He's the complete package as a modern defender with zero weaknesses, I'm incredibly jealous of Liverpool for having him.

Honestly I used to think he was overhyped by Liverpool fans, then I started watching them week in, week out and I understood the hype. He's a nightmare for attackers, nearly always in the right place but if he isn't he has the pace to make up for it. Then you give him great ability on the ball, make him basically unbeatable in the air and strong to the point where absolute units like Adama Traore bounce off him, and you've got an absolute cnut of a central defender. I was dreading facing Liverpool last night not because of Mane or Salah, but because I fecking knew every time Son tried to get in behind he would be there outpacing him, every time Kane tried to win an aerial duel he'd be there winning it. He's so annoying.

I hope more than anyone that he can't keep this up next season, and the 'he has to do it for a few seasons' argument is a valid one in terms of whether he's viewed as an all time great.
 

BobbyManc

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You guys just had your second highest point total ever and one of the lowest goals conceded numbers you ever had. United had its worst goals conceded in a season since 1978-1979. So not really comparable.
You're never going to get an accurate comparison of the individual ability of CBs if you're comparing points tallies and goals conceded, which are team achievements. You're also overlooking that Kompany played seventeen times this season and contributed to that. Was Laporte better than Kompany this season? Yeah, he played more and was very good. Was he much better if you compared their average performance each game? No. And this is Kompany at the end of his career. It's a legitimate debate to argue who was better out of Otamendi last season or Laporte this year, but peak Kompany was comfortably better than both.
 

MadDogg

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Again, I think VVD has had a better season than Vidic ever did, hence the hype. That doesn't mean he'll consistently be this good, but I do think we're looking at the best individual season a CB has had in the PL era.
I'd still give it to Rio in 07/08, but I do think VVD is closer to Rio in first place than Vidic in 08/09 (which until now was the second best season).
 

fastwalker

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Ok..?

Van Djik was literally voted POTY in the Premier League for a central defender. He was incredible and crucial to his side getting 97 points. He also won the champions league, and was absolutely crucial to that as well.

You're a City fan, so obviously hugely biased. I don't like Liverpool and I don't like VVD, but he's been a behemoth this season. Peak Kompany was excellent but if you don't even think it's worthy of a debate then you're straight up delusional about it, sorry. You really can't get much better as a defender than Van Djik has been this season, pretty much every game I've watched he's been sensational.

VVD is getting all these plaudits for a reason - pundits, experts, managers, players etc from all levels are saying similar things about him. I mean for feck sake he'll be up there for Ballon d'or this year.
This is a brilliant post. I am as tribal as they come and I know where my loyalties lie, but there are times in football when you just have to call it as you see it. Being in denial about what is so blindingly obvious is idiotic. We screwed up massively not going in for Van Dijk, when the chance came.

Virgil Van Dijk is an outstanding defender, he is the PFA Player of the Year and may even yet win the Ballon D'or. He improves players around him, he is a leader and he oozes class. He is the player that we wish we had and one of the reasons why we are busting a nut to sign De Ligt. Yes I wish Van Dijk played for us, but the fact that he plays for our greatest rivals does not take away from his quality.
 

RobinLFC

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At his peak Kompany was immense and even with all his injury problems and the power and pace it's taken off him, he has still come in when needed and done an excellent job in recent seasons. He's 33 and had a body made of glass and yet in one of the most intense title races in English football history he came in at the end of the season and was a pivotal part in the team going unbeaten and keeping numerous clean sheets in the final matches. Plus, who can forget his goal v Leicester? Big man for the big occasion.

van Dijk has been phenomenally consistent this year and deserves all his plaudits he is getting, albeit he is receiving a slightly inflated amount of attention although that's probably due to his price tag; someone like Vidic never got the amount of hype around him van Dijk has had this season. There's no doubt if van Dijk keeps up this level of performances for the next few years then he'll be in the debate as possibly the greatest CB the Premier League era has seen, and one of Europe's best too.
Are you taking the piss? Every game I saw him play this season he should've been on a yellow card after 5 minutes and sent off in at least half of them, that's how rash, brainless and late he got into tackles.
 

KirkDuyt

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If we win on Sunday by Van Dijk nodding in a goal, he will win the Ballon d'or. That's how this works.

Regarding the fawning, Frenkie de Jong is much worse. I read in an English tabloid that he's so good, fairy dust appears when he touches the ball. Feck off with that shite.
 

giorno

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Against Germany. Sane tore him and De Ligt a new one.
Mbappè-Griezmann also did a number on them in the nations league in france

Btw: he's been fantastic and clearly the best CB in the world this season but calm down :lol: remember if Mahrez doesn't miss the penalty at anfield or the ref doesn't miss his braindead red card tackle on mertens, his whole season would have been defined by those 2 mistakes that would have cost liverpool the PL and CL...
 
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edbe

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If we win on Sunday by Van Dijk nodding in a goal, he will win the Ballon d'or. That's how this works.

Regarding the fawning, Frenkie de Jong is much worse. I read in an English tabloid that he's so good, fairy dust appears when he touches the ball. Feck off with that shite.
Hand in hand, kameraaaden, hand in hand, voor....
 

Classical Mechanic

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If we win on Sunday by Van Dijk nodding in a goal, he will win the Ballon d'or. That's how this works.

Regarding the fawning, Frenkie de Jong is much worse. I read in an English tabloid that he's so good, fairy dust appears when he touches the ball. Feck off with that shite.
Seems a bit of a misrepresentation to me. There's little 'magic' when he plays. More a next level understanding of the game. To me it seems he plays a really simple game because of how good his understanding is, dropping into the right spaces at the right time, retaining possession and recycling the ball effectively.
 

Pogue Mahone

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Seems a bit of a misrepresentation to me. There's little 'magic' when he plays. More a next level understanding of the game. To me it seems he plays a really simple game because of how good his understanding is, dropping into the right spaces at the right time, retaining possession and recycling the ball effectively.
He does all that but does it in an insanely classy way. I can see why he attracts hyperbole. Reminiscent of peak Busquets, with a bit more bite in the tackle. He’s a wonderful player.
 

RobinLFC

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Mbappè-Griezmann also did a number on them in the nations league in france

Btw: he's been fantastic and clearly the best CB in the world this season but calm down :lol: remember if Mahrez doesn't miss the penalty at anfield or the ref doesn't miss his braindead red card tackle on mertens, his whole season would have been defined by those 2 mistakes that would have cost liverpool the PL and CL...
If City doesn't win their last game, we would've won the PL as well, and if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle :rolleyes:

Also "braindead red card tackle" :lol: Yeah he should really have known that Mertens was going to put his leg there after Van Dijk made the challenge. So braindead.
 

Aloysius's Back 3

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Seems a bit of a misrepresentation to me. There's little 'magic' when he plays. More a next level understanding of the game. To me it seems he plays a really simple game because of how good his understanding is, dropping into the right spaces at the right time, retaining possession and recycling the ball effectively.
This is what Blind did as well to be fair. De ligt has been argued to be a bit under pace as well so maybe this is something the Netherlands lads are coached to do quite well.
 

giorno

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If City doesn't win their last game, we would've won the PL as well, and if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle :rolleyes:
Of course. Wasn't saying he's been bad, just pointing out he's not been this flawless superplayer like beckenbauer and messi rolled into one that people are making him out to be :lol:

Also "braindead red card tackle" :lol: Yeah he should really have known that Mertens was going to put his leg there after Van Dijk made the challenge. So braindead.
He was clearly late and went in studs up with no regard for consequences. It was the very definition of braindead, and he was extremely lucky the ref didn't see how bad it was(or that there was no VAR in the group stages)
 

We'll See Out There!

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The guy is a colossus, whopper of a defender. How/when did we stop scouting players from Holland by the way? We've had some crackers recently Stam, Blind (sort of), RVP. Lets get back to the "smoke & a pancake" days, remember with Gods final touch he created the Dutch. Plus the have some top class Bobby Moores over there!;)
 

VorZakone

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Of course. Wasn't saying he's been bad, just pointing out he's not been this flawless superplayer like beckenbauer and messi rolled into one that people are making him out to be :lol:


He was clearly late and went in studs up with no regard for consequences. It was the very definition of braindead, and he was extremely lucky the ref didn't see how bad it was(or that there was no VAR in the group stages)
Clearly late? He got the ball. He only hit Mertens' leg after cleanly hitting the ball. It wasn't a red. Yellow I'd agree cause his leg was a bit high when making the tackle but I wouldn't say it was a red card offense.
 

roonster09

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If City doesn't win their last game, we would've won the PL as well, and if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle :rolleyes:

Also "braindead red card tackle" :lol: Yeah he should really have known that Mertens was going to put his leg there after Van Dijk made the challenge. So braindead.
:lol:
 

RobinLFC

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Of course. Wasn't saying he's been bad, just pointing out he's not been this flawless superplayer like beckenbauer and messi rolled into one that people are making him out to be :lol:


He was clearly late and went in studs up with no regard for consequences. It was the very definition of braindead, and he was extremely lucky the ref didn't see how bad it was(or that there was no VAR in the group stages)
Yeah he was so clearly late that he easily got the ball :lol: