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I’m gonna take a look at some of the ways in which Liverpool are really missing their World Class centre-back, Virgil Van Dijk.
First off, let’s talk about dominance in the air. Whether its winning the header off a goal kick with tremendous accuracy to the midfielders, or towering over defenders on corners, his lethality and dominance in the air is sorely missed. (Career EPL aerial duels won: 74.3%)
Secondly, lets talk about how much he controls the tempo of this team. Very often I’ll find when they’re comfortable, they can pass between the defensive line until they find the avenue they want to attack, and in many occasions its usually Van Dijk who’s sending a pinged long...
... ball to the wingers, or finding the right man in the middle to start the attack. He’s immense to what they try and do going forward and he’s so much more than just a defender.
Thirdly, do I have to say much about his leadership skills? He intimidates not only opponents, but his own teammates into playing at his level. Barking out instructions for his wingbacks, keeping the team calm in moments of high intensity and pressure. He works the team from...
the back-to-front like a composer leading a symphony. They may follow the example of Jordan Henderson, but they’re attack is led from the back by Virg more often than not.
Lastly, I wanna mention again how intimidating he is to opposing teams. Before even starting the game the understanding is that they’ll have to play down the wing that’s not his, that’s scary. He went a full calendar year without getting dribbled past, and that should say it all.
His consistency breeds fear. What Liverpool miss more than anything is the overwhelming confidence he gave every single teammate he’d share the pitch with.
End of thread, lemme know what you guys think. What else about him makes him so difficult to play against?
