Virgil van Dijk | Performances

Klopper76

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Robertson and him were awful today. Van Dijk can’t play in a high line any more.
 

Murder on Zidane's Floor

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Defenders aren't worse, football is just more attacking so they are more exposed.

Many of the greats from the early naughties would get eaten alive playing the high line that Liverpool do with the same aggressive fullbacks.

Even potential goats like Baresi would struggle in this Liverpool.
It's no coincidence stuff like "Pique can't defend" was a thing. "Cafu can't defend" was also a thing but in reality both went on to shape modern football.

Defenders aren't worse they are just asked to do more with less help.
They wouldn't. They really wouldn't. It's like you think all these historic teams played on their own six yard box.
 

padr81

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They wouldn't. They really wouldn't. It's like you think all these historic teams played on their own six yard box.
Not at all but they didn't play the same way they do now. Cafu was ridiculed for his defending (in his own words) now he is the bench mark for full backs. Midfielders had to cover alot more ground as football was far more rigid, now its more fluid you have cb's stepping into midfield, full back playing like wide midfielders and wingers playing like forwards.
Do I think Baresi would do better than VVD in this Liverpool team? Probably, but he'd still get murdered on the counter (possibly more so than VVD because VVD is quicker).
Teams play higher up, fullbacks are far more attacking. Wingers play further up than they to. Theres been a huge tactical shift towards pressing and high lines, its not even debateable. Theres a huge area of space between the half way line and six yard box.

The role of a fullback now is very different to the 90's and CB's are often left in a 2 at the back. Teams like Bayern, Liverpool, City do this all the time.


This is how Sacchi Milan (who were high pressers for their time) pressed and played offside.
Compare the number of players in the defensive positions to that of modern Liverpool.


Liverpool are clearly leaving their defenders far more exposed by choice.
 

kaiser1

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Van Dijk came 7 points short (out of nearly 700) of a Ballon d'Or. Carragher's ridiculous bias is closely matched by some of the counter posts here.
Jorginho has been the highest ranked DM in a Balon dor votes in a long time. Yet can't make the Arsenal team
 

Murder on Zidane's Floor

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Not at all but they didn't play the same way they do now. Cafu was ridiculed for his defending (in his own words) now he is the bench mark for full backs. Midfielders had to cover alot more ground as football was far more rigid, now its more fluid you have cb's stepping into midfield, full back playing like wide midfielders and wingers playing like forwards.
Do I think Baresi would do better than VVD in this Liverpool team? Probably, but he'd still get murdered on the counter (possibly more so than VVD because VVD is quicker).
Teams play higher up, fullbacks are far more attacking. Wingers play further up than they to. Theres been a huge tactical shift towards pressing and high lines, its not even debateable. Theres a huge area of space between the half way line and six yard box.

The role of a fullback now is very different to the 90's and CB's are often left in a 2 at the back. Teams like Bayern, Liverpool, City do this all the time.


This is how Sacchi Milan (who were high pressers for their time) pressed and played offside.
Compare the number of players in the defensive positions to that of modern Liverpool.


Liverpool are clearly leaving their defenders far more exposed by choice.
Footballers covered more ground in the past than the do now?

Is this serious?!
 

Rooney in Paris

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Does anyone argue that he's even an ok defender anymore? He's at fault for so many of the goals they concede it's crazy. And he's a coward defensively.
 

Mike Smalling

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The best part about this is, that it's not exactly prime Ronaldinho breaking his ankles, but 34 year old Ivan Perisic playing from wingback. At least when Boateng fell down it was to Lionel Messi at his best.
 

padr81

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Footballers covered more ground in the past than the do now?

Is this serious?!
Midfielders I said, played more box to box is probably a better way of saying it than covered more ground if you prefer, but well done on completely avoiding the point of the post yet again.

Now unless you can somehow back up that teams don't play higher, pressing much further forward with more attacking fbs exposing cbs more, I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to argue here?

That older defenders would somehow excel in an era that demands far more of them? An era where just about every aspect is leaning heavily towards attackers?
 
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Zed is not dead

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Not the player he used to be anymore... no chance that Koeman will take him out of the team though.
Still hasn’t been dribbled past though :drool:

He’s a genius actually, you can’t be dribbled if you simply disengage and let them through
 

Oranges038

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Not the player he used to be anymore... no chance that Koeman will take him out of the team though.

That is woeful defending.

It's like he hasn't a clue where he is or what he should be doing.
 

Hughes35

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Still hasn’t been dribbled past though :drool:

He’s a genius actually, you can’t be dribbled if you simply disengage and let them through
I was just going to post this. He was never as good as he got made out to be.

Had 2 seasons for Liverpool where the whole team was excellent, but got elevated where people were talking about his as a top top class CB.
 

Pexbo

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Not the player he used to be anymore... no chance that Koeman will take him out of the team though.

Wish the video wasn’t cropped, looks like he was about to start handing out blame for that one which is delicious.
 

BusbyMalone

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He had two great seasons at Liverpool and that was it. And the hype that those two seasons generated was always absurd.
 

kaiser1

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Saw this clips of Maldini


I see he hardly backs away from a challenge unlike Van Dijk who some argued was the best ever
 

roonster09

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Saw this clips of Maldini


I see he hardly backs away from a challenge unlike Van Dijk who some argued was the best ever
As per the standard quotes it's "3 mins of Maldini making mistake".

Apparently making tackle means defender has already messed up, so it's 3 mins of his mistake videos.
 

Krny

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Saw this clips of Maldini


I see he hardly backs away from a challenge unlike Van Dijk who some argued was the best ever

According to maldini's stupid quote he has made countless mistakes in that video by having to tackle.
 

Oranges038

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Saw this clips of Maldini


I see he hardly backs away from a challenge unlike Van Dijk who some argued was the best ever
Maldini was just out of this world.

Had a friends kid over and they were playing FIFA ultimate team, who'd never have seen him play complain about him winning every ball off Haaland in the game. Said, he'd never do that, he's only got this badge.

I just said, that's probably the most realistic thing I've ever seen in that game.
 

Demyanenko_square_jaw

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The best part about this is, that it's not exactly prime Ronaldinho breaking his ankles, but 34 year old Ivan Perisic playing from wingback. At least when Boateng fell down it was to Lionel Messi at his best.
Being pedantic here, but Boateng was also done in a very similar way against Sardar Azmoun, not just messi.

 

Witchking

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An unwanted bump to a thread about Van Dijk and then discussing different players. Robbing me of the chance to laugh further at VVD. :mad:
 

Joel Miller

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Saw this clips of Maldini


I see he hardly backs away from a challenge unlike Van Dijk who some argued was the best ever
What a player he was. Excellent on the ball, reading of the game and his anticipation were second to none, and he didn’t mind putting his body on the line too.
 

kaiser1

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What a player he was. Excellent on the ball, reading of the game and his anticipation were second to none, and he didn’t mind putting his body on the line too.
This part especially
Defending is a dirty job. You use everything to prevent a goal bound move or shot, This is where the Italians, Vidic, Ramos, Terry even Ruben Dias excelled. Which is why the "I didn't get dribbled" stat shows you are most likely running away from attackers
 

kaiser1

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According to maldini's stupid quote he has made countless mistakes in that video by having to tackle.
As per the standard quotes it's "3 mins of Maldini making mistake".

Apparently making tackle means defender has already messed up, so it's 3 mins of his mistake videos.
In many of those moves, Maldini was already beaten for pace and had to make the tackle
 

antk

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Saw this clips of Maldini


I see he hardly backs away from a challenge unlike Van Dijk who some argued was the best ever
Are you expecting Maldini's highlights to include all of his errors - and thus as there isn't any included he must not have made any? What a weird comparison.
 

Mshafeek

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I was just going to post this. He was never as good as he got made out to be.

Had 2 seasons for Liverpool where the whole team was excellent, but got elevated where people were talking about his as a top top class CB.
He was top top class before the injury. But that injury did him really bad. The difference is clear to see.
 

bringbackbebe

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He was top top class before the injury. But that injury did him really bad. The difference is clear to see.
I'd get if he lost a yard of pace but other aspects of reading of the game, positioning has gone downhill as well. Sometimes, he just stands there staring at the ball allowing his opponent a free shot. This bit is difficult to explain.
 

roonster09

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In many of those moves, Maldini was already beaten for pace and had to make the tackle
I know, my post wasn't serious. It's sort of a pisstake on the people who actually worship the Maldini quote about tackling "If I have to make a tackle then I have already made a mistake"
 

Amar__

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I'd get if he lost a yard of pace but other aspects of reading of the game, positioning has gone downhill as well. Sometimes, he just stands there staring at the ball allowing his opponent a free shot. This bit is difficult to explain.
It's not difficult to explain, he was always that type of defender who relied on pace to bail him out and close the space, and now when he doesn't have the pace he can"t do that and probably thinks it's below his level to chase and tackle people around considering his arogancy.