Virgil van Dijk will put a new Liverpool team in place in his first major change of captaincy
The Liverpool captain changed his squad and pre-match routine and went back to his own
Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk after the win over Everton. Dominic Calvert-Lewin wouldn’t have known it at the time, but his Merseyside derby battle with Virgil van Dijk came to a head after just 36 seconds at Anfield on Saturday.
The Everton forward’s early header from Dwight NcNeiland’s cross was met by Alisson Becker and came close enough to break Jürgen Kloppand’s rear defence.
And while Sean Dyche may have bemoaned Ashley Young’s dismissal or Ibrahima Konate’s failure to show the same luck in the second half, much of the reason his side couldn’t lay a glove on their hosts was down to the ground. to the performance of the excellent Van Dijk.
The Liverpool captain may have been the official skipper since the summer, but this was his 50th appearance with the armband and he played like a man determined to go down in his 243rd appearance for his local rivals. The first half in particular – when the score was 11 against 11 – was characterized by Van Dijk, who beat the usually aerially dominant Calvert-Lewin. With Liverpool’s second half usually targeting the opposition’s forwards in an attempt to avoid a one-on-one battle with the Reds skipper, Calvert-Lewin collided with Van Dijk several times in the first half, but only lightly. success
The number 4 won 12 of his 17 duels on the day – 10 in the air – and won as many as five break points. One particular play in the second half was breathtaking when he rattled a long ball before passing it to a teammate when most defenders would have opted for a simple clearance.
Newcastle aside, it’s been a strong start to the campaign for Van Dijk, who for too long has had to listen to exaggerated claims about his form, especially in his homeland, where some outspoken pundits and former players have tried to rip him apart. down the Dutch captain. Jamie Carragher dedicated his Telegraph column on Friday to the Reds defender, writing: andquot;Many say Van Dijk has not been the same since he suffered a serious knee injury in the Merseyside derby in October 2020. This story has been rewritten .
andquot;He was brilliant in 2021-2022, two wins in a quadruple. Even the recent controversial loss against Spurs was only Van Dijk’s third defeat in his last 21 league games.
and quot;In the long term, the knee surgery (in 2020) probably took its toll, but the recent negative reviews are based on Van Dijk’s good performance. This is a player who failed to finish second to Lionel Messi in the 2019 Ballon d’Or voting, a rare accolade for a central defender.andquot;
As part of the new look and#039;Liverpool 2.0and#039; – In the words of Jürgen Klopp – Van Dijk is now the official leader of the men, with the style of management of the captain very different from that favored by Jordan Henderson during the last eight years.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold taking over as vice-captain, there is now a general feeling in the Liverpool camp that a different management will be in place, unlike the demanding approach adopted by Henderson and James Milner before their summer departures.
While Van Dijkand#039;s exudes a quiet confidence compared to the more vocal Henderson as club captain, he is more of a role model alongside Alexander-Arnold and highly respected by his colleagues.
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Mohamed Salah and Jurgen Klopp will play Liverpool 2-0 Everton this weekend. andquot;That club has had incredible captains, leaders over the years who bring out the best in themselves and their teams time and time again,andquot; Van Dijk says. andquot;So being on a roster with people like that is definitely not what I expected when I started playing.
andquot;But what is most important to me is that I am individually part of a team of leaders who find their own way to take responsibility regardless of who holds the wrist.andquot;
One thing the new skipper has decided to do in his new role is to introduce a pre-kick-off team talk to give the players a final word of inspiration before the games start.
andquot;We did that when I was a Celtic player,andquot; Van Dijk adds. andquot;And I always liked that because I think it set the tone for the game and also signaled to the crowd that we were ready to go.
andquot;It can also improve the atmosphere because it’s so close to the start of the game, so if our fans want to participate, adding noise and adding anticipation, I can’t complain, although it makes it difficult for me to do. I heard it myself. andquot;
Attempts to push the 32-year-old’s story past his best performances since suffering a career-threatening knee injury three years ago have been desperate at times, but an in-form Van Dijk remains indispensable to Liverpool. real and tangible success with this term. His early season form is more than encouraging.
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