For the first time in his Liverpool career, Virgil van Dijk has been the subject of intense scrutiny with which he is unfamiliar.
The Reds’ colossus at center back was an ever-present as Jurgen Klopp’s team won a sixth European Cup and broke a 30-year title drought during the club’s most illustrious time in recent history.
It has been smooth sailing with Van Dijk on the field up until lately, with the Dutch skipper being benched during the only other difficult period of the current manager’s tenure in 2020/21.
His extraordinary 70-match unbeaten home record in the Premier League, which was ended in October’s 2-1 loss to Leeds, served as a shining example of his unwavering success and presence.
Since then, as a result of individual and group struggles, Van Dijk has only sometimes faced sincere criticism as Liverpool lost its place in the top club competition in Europe for the first time since 2016.
Is the form, at the age of 31, a real cause for alarm among fans, or just a hiccup?
Superpowers made public?
It was rapidly established that Van Dijk was tough to dribble around due to his invincible aura at the back, which was supported by the numbers.
Rival fans looked desperately for video footage to disprove the “myth” and find a way to humanize him in an attempt to use it as a stick to hit him with.
It was an impossibility when he was at his best. The defender was never dribbled past during the 2018–19 campaign, which saw Liverpool score 97 points, win a European Cup, and earn Van Dijk PFA Player of the Year.
The 17-month streak was finally broken by Gabriel Jesus in 2019, but as everyone is aware, that competition only counts when we win it.
Liverpool were a fearsome force because their center back was so impenetrable and they had the best goalie in the world in the back.
The fact that Alisson was chosen as the clubs’ Player of the Season said as much about Liverpool’s defensive shortcomings as it did about the Brazilian’s brilliance, yet the savior goalie was powerless to save Bournemouth’s game-winning goal in March.
The loss and Van Dijk error, which came just six days after a record 7-0 victory against Manchester United, perfectly reflected the season’s volatile nature.
In contrast to the Cherries, the Dutchman appeared to be a shell of his former self, and distractions allowed players like Dominic Solanke and Philip Billing to enjoy one of their simplest afternoons of the seasons.
An expected reality check
The Netherlands captain provided the desperate compilation producers with far more material than they had grown accustomed to throughout 2022–23, with Leandro Trossard’s hat-trick goal for Brighton in front of the Kop another of the forgettable incidents stemming from a costly missed clearance.
Even the most unobservant Liverpool fan could have predicted the problem given the team’s reliance on Van Dijk when he admitted in March to playing “too many games” over the previous two seasons.
Liverpool’s No. 4 has enjoyed a nearly spotless fitness record aside from the terrible ACL injury he had in 2020, while those around him have struggled with various problems.
However, following his long-term injury, starting 51 games in the season was way too much. Simply put, he had been overplayed.
Ibrahima Konate has been set up to be the long-term center-back partner and will likely be the foundation for the team long after Van Dijk retires, but even he has sustained a number of injuries that have added to the pressure on his defensive partner.
Van Dijk can continue to be one of the club’s most crucial players and is entirely capable of reaching the heights he previously reached, but as he nears his senior years, he can no longer be relied upon nearly as heavily.
In order to rest the 31-year-old without sacrificing the caliber of the backline, Klopp (and Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman) will need reinforcements, whether this summer or next.
It’s too early to panic
Any decline in performance is emphasized when it occurs after such an extended period of peak performance, especially for a team with the prominence of Liverpool.
Van Dijk’s value to this club does not need to be questioned next season, just as Klopp’s future is unassailable despite a lackluster campaign because of the credit he has earned.
The defender had his worst season while wearing a Liverpool jersey, which will undoubtedly raise doubts whether he likes it or not. However, he wasn’t the only one, as a loss of confidence spread swiftly throughout the team.
We have a sizable body of evidence to imply that Van Dijk is in that type of players who find a way to overcome challenges even in the most challenging of situations.
If the manager sticks with the new system, which has the Reds play with a back three when out of possession, he will have new obstacles after the summer, but his experience with the national side should be enough to help him adapt smoothly.
It is fair for fans and personnel to be concerned about Van Dijk’s relative fall in performance, but you can bet your life that the center-back has no qualms whatsoever about his own talents.