If anyone really surprised the perma-offended, ‘LeTallec > Ronaldo’ crowd are, once again, displaying their complete and utter lack of self-awareness and trying to impose on everyone else their exaggerated self-importance?
Van Dijk has had, as we’ve stated here many times, the huge benefit of modern football’s systems when being compared to yesteryear’s greats. Klopp deploys 5-6 players in front of him who run like dogs when out of possession, which interrupts and affects the quality of ball played up to van Dijk’s sole opponent (another advantage he enjoys in comparison to the front-two systems of the 1990s and 2000s especially).
The immediate three in front of him rarely venture too far forward and are excellent at stopping counter-attacks with tactical fouls, which means van Dijk is very rarely left defend 1v1 with space around him. He has a sweeper ‘keeper behind him too, which offers further reassurance and protection. He’s superbly well protected yet this is rarely mentioned when discussing his apparent prowess.
He’s lauded as being great with the ball at his feet but his range of passing is one-dimensional: a 60-yard hoof to Salah or Alexander-Arnold in an acre of space. Daniel Agger was better with the ball at his feet and regularly took the ball into midfield, breaking the lines effectively. Van Dijk never seems to do this, or at least not anymore.
He never engages the dribbler with the ball, instead backing-off at an almost-comical rate. Liverpool have conceded important goals and countless chances to this strange tactic by van Dijk, yet still, it goes unmentioned. Turning his arse to crosses and shots is a trademark of his now but his cheerleaders never criticise him for it. Vidic and Terry would dive at the feet of attackers with their heads to prevent goals, in comparison.
It sounds like sour grapes (and maybe it is) but it seems like opposition fans have to take these extreme stances to balance their extremes the Scousers and their arse-licking media pals take when discussing van Dijk, Klopp and absolutely everything Liverpool related. He’s a very good player, more than justifying his eyebrow-raising transfer fee at the time, and I wish a player of his quality played for us, but, my days, the hyperbole with him is without compare in world football in any time I’ve followed the sport as a fan.