Virgil van Dijk has not been immune to criticism this season after failing to galvanise Liverpool’s flagging campaign.
The Dutchman had been imperious during the Premier League title win last year, deservedly penning a new two-year deal in April.
Although he has generally been far more consistent than some of his teammates, Van Dijk’s level has dropped noticeably at times this term.
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Arguably the most concerning of these occasions was at Bournemouth in January, when Liverpool fans voted Van Dijk as the worst player on the pitch after a dismal display.
The 3-2 loss at Dean Court may have been one of the games the 34-year-old was referring to as he has admitted to feeling like he’s ‘let his teammates down’ with some of his performances this term.
Virgil van Dijk not happy with his own level
Van Dijk has been so good for so long that when he is even a little off his game it is easy to spot.
As he enters his mid-thirties, those outside of Liverpool continue to write him off, and although some of his displays this year have not helped him argue against that, Van Dijk does at least hold his hands up when he hasn’t been good enough.
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Sunderland at Anfield
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“Retaining the title was always going to be difficult,” the centre-back told Discovery+. “I’ve not been in a position, by the way, with everything that happened over the summer, to deal with that as a captain.
“I’ve not also been dealing with the transition of having a lot of new players, but in my opinion, I’m doing it in the best interest and the best way I can.
“There has been games where you come out and you think, I’ve really let my teammates down. And, you know, that hurts, and that will always hurt. And obviously, I’ve been very lucky and blessed to have not been in a position that I felt like that. But this season, a couple of times I did.”
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Pep Lijnders watching Manchester City warm up ahead of their UEFA Champions League match against Galatasaray at the Etihad Stadium (Credit: Getty Images/Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA).
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Will Van Dijk bounce back from dip in form?
The question Liverpool fans are asking on Van Dijk is one of whether these drops in level are going to become more frequent or whether they are simply the captain’s part in a poor wider season.
History can guide us towards the answers to that, as the legendary No. 4 was also disappointing during the 2022/23 campaign, when Liverpool as a whole also struggled.
Aged 31 at the time, some were beginning to wonder whether that was it for Van Dijk at the very top level. He answered that with an emphatic ‘no’ by turning in some of his best football as Liverpool won the Premier League two seasons later.
Three years older, it may be more difficult for Van Dijk to bounce back in a similar way this time, but you’d also still expect that he will at this stage.
If performances get worse towards the end of the campaign then that feeling may begin to change, but for all he has done at the club over the past eight years, Van Dijk really does deserve the benefit of the doubt.
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