Virgil van Dijk will be begging Arne Slot to never again use the 3-5-2 he deployed during Liverpool’s defeat against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, says Jamie Carragher.
Van Dijk took on a slightly different role at the Parc des Princes, operating in between Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.
And though the Liverpool captain was not glaringly bad, he struggled against the mobility of the PSG front line, with Carragher claiming that the need to go man-to-man meant Van Dijk will not want to revisit the system.
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Carragher has never seen Van Dijk as uncomfortable
Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo after Wednesday’s 2-0 loss, Carragher declared that Slot’s decision to play with three centre-backs actually left Liverpool more exposed, leading to difficulties for Van Dijk.
“He’s tried something, but he’s got it massively wrong tactically how he’s gone about it,” said the former Reds centre-back.
“They were actually more open with the back five than they were with a back four, because they went man to man all over the pitch and your three centre-backs had to cover the width of the pitch.
“For Virgil van Dijk watching him tonight in the middle of a back three, and normally when you get to a certain age you think, ‘middle of a back three, perfect for me that, I’m getting on.’ Everyone’s in position, you’re getting a bit of protection in your back five. This was different.”
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“Defenders are jumping [up the pitch], there’s no one to mark and Virgil van Dijk at 34 years of age was having to run in there, having to run across. He couldn’t do it.”
With Gomez and Konate noticeably pushing higher up the pitch, Van Dijk was often left as the very last line of defence for Liverpool, with the system exposing him in a way rarely seen before.
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Van Dijk has come in for criticism recently after dropping his level along with the rest of his Liverpool teammates.
And though Carragher was less than impressed with his display in Paris, he also explained why he has plenty of sympathy for the Dutchman. Nevertheless, the Reds legend think Van Dijk will still be delighted to see the back of this new formation.
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“People have criticised Van Dijk this season and I think it’s been harsh because he plays every game, the fella next to him has been awful all season, he was poor again tonight, Konate, so that’s not easy to play alongside,” he said. “So I still think he’s been one of Liverpool’s better players.
“But tonight in that back three I have never seen him so uncomfortable in a Liverpool shirt in my life. I think he’ll be pleading with Arne Slot to never play that system ever again because he found it so tough.”
Given Slot’s decision appeared to be catered towards nullifying PSG very specifically, it seems unlikely that he will turn to the system on a regular basis. According to Carragher, that will be good news for Van Dijk.
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