04 May 2017 09:04:24
hi eds, According to an exclusive report covered by Read Liverpool, the £50million rated ($64.5million) central defender (virgil van dijk) has agreed to sign for Liverpool if we can qualify for the next season's Champions League. Do you know whether this is true? also do you think van dijk is as good as everyone says?
{Ed002's Note - I answered this yesterday Joe.}
04 May 2017 10:16:24
Brief answer Joe;
- Liverpool are very naughty for attempting to tap up players in the past.
- Other teams do not like this (who would have thought it? ) .
- If Liverpool make 'verbal agreement', that is considered naughty again.
- Liverpool could be in trouble/ more trouble.
- Liverpool probably/ hopefully have not made initial contact in this way.
As to ability, most seem to think he is very much a superior Skrtel, with all the flashy big tackles and terrible positioning/ general defending which comes with that.
04 May 2017 13:55:04
No such verbal agreement exists as that is against tapping-up regulations and LFC had better not be doing that.
Spot on, Jolly on your last point about VVD. Great description of an overrated, MOTD highlight reel-defender.
04 May 2017 13:57:06
He isn't as good as Skrtel. In a deep defence Skrtel was solid. You only need to see how well he played under Rafa, Kenny and Clarke to know that.
It is only when he is asked to play higher up the pitch and make risky decisions that Skrtel became a liability and thus unsuited to the Rodgers/ Klopp styles.
Van Dijk cannot even stay in position in a deeper defence because very much like Harry Maguire, John Stones, a young David Luiz etc. He thinks he is better than he is and sets off on marauding forward runs until he or his team loses the ball and then he can't get back in time.
He is a really average player who looks good only on highlight reels. Skrtel was easily exposed in certain systems, but if you played to his strengths he was actually a good defender. Not top class, but good enough to win our player of the year award! Van Dijk is just a liability in any system.
04 May 2017 14:58:57
Sorry but have the say the whole problem with Skrtel was he was the one forcing a deep defence when others tried to push out and that directly caused problems - see the Palace draw as a good example of the panic that sets in when we allow teams to come onto us. Not saying current is massively more reassuring but pushing play away from our penalty area is a must.
05 May 2017 11:14:27
Great description, MK. Notice how some are saying that Mcguire would be a good signing for us. Yeah, that happened for the same reason people think VVD is worth 50m. Sheesh!
VVD has always been overrated and is quite simply a poor defender who wouldn't hack it in the system we play in where CB's are exposed to one on one situations. The obsession with him in the media and a part of the fan base simply shows that they have no clue or simply don't watch games closely.