Speaking about the possible reason behind Virgil van Dijk’s occasional bad performances for Liverpool this season, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman said: “Of course he got injured.
“A knee injury, a muscle injury and then a World Cup played in November, but I think his lesser form also has to do with the team he plays in. Liverpool was known for putting pressure and winning balls in midfield, so Virgil also got into less trouble.
“The chance of mistakes has now become many times greater." Of course he [Van Basten] is allowed to criticise. I also have that on Virgil.
“I have always said to Virgil: 'You should always assume that the player next to you makes a mistake'. Then you have to look: am I good? Good at the situation? Sometimes he just has to enter the game much harder and shorter, but then he keeps his position too much. I also discuss that with Virgil.”
Van Dijk’s performances have slightly regressed since he suffered that awful knee injury from Jordan Pickford’s challenge a few years ago. With that being said, he still remains a top-quality centre-back who is likely to remain a part of the Liverpool team for many years to come.
