Topic: Virgil Van Dijk (Cpt)

[Son of Spion]

Collymore

I saw this yesterday. I just shook my head when I read it.

Stan, for the love of god, shut the fuck up. Please.

[Son of Spion]

Why are so many pundits and ex-players so keen on City becoming a dominant force? Don't they value a more level playing field and equality of arms (obviously Everton miss out in that instance)?

I think it's just a case of them playing fantasy football manager with City's unlimited money.

[RyanBabel19]

I just wonder why the conversation of Van Dijk and City is being had Surely one of the most pointless possible discussions

He had the chance to go to City previously and i'm pretty sure he made a choice

[blacksun]

I saw this yesterday. I just shook my head when I read it.

Stan, for the love of god, shut the fuck up. Please.

He is the epitome of the old adage 'say nothing and let people think you're an idiot or speak and remove all doubt'

[arbiarbi]

The best player in the world after Leo Messi !

[Geppvindh's]

Even if we somehow managed to convince ourselves to agree a deal for Van Dijk to City, he's most probably escape to Blackpool and lay low until the window closes.

[jooneyisdagod]

The best player in the world after Leo Messi !

This sounds ridiculous but I think he's actually up there in the top 5 players in the world on current form. He's the Messi of defenders.

[Peabee]

£75m never looked so cheap. How is he this good? He raises the level of his CB partner too. Matip is looking better the more games he’s played alongside VVD. 5 clean sheets in a row. Unfortunately, the lads further up the field aren’t also banging goals in at the moment.  If they start ticking again too, then it’s going to be a fun 9 games...

[harleydanger]

Why are so many pundits and ex-players so keen on City becoming a dominant force? Don't they value a more level playing field and equality of arms (obviously Everton miss out in that instance)?

Because they are the most likely to stop us becoming the dominant force?

[Caligula?]

I didn't want to jump to any rushed conclusions in the beginning so I'll say it now with certainty: he's the best centre back I've ever seen play for this club. And there's absolutely no doubt about him being the best defender in the world at the moment either. You can't put a price on that.

[Zeppelin]

He's certainly up there with Hansen and Lawrenson as the best I've ever seen. If he maintains this level for a few more seasons, there'll be no doubt that he's the best.

[SpartanTree. No deccies or lights.]

I didn't want to jump to any rushed conclusions in the beginning so I'll say it now with certainty: he's the best centre back I've ever seen play for this club. And there's absolutely no doubt about him being the best defender in the world at the moment either. You can't put a price on that.

I was the opposite in that I was telling people we had paid top dollar but for an elite level defender.
Bunch of lads I play footie with weren't having it - saying he was good but in no way as good as I was making out.

He's the complete package - ability on the ball, speed, size & strength, positional awareness, leader and - for me the biggest one - he's got the cojones to play for a club of Liverpool's stature.  The massive games don't faze him and if anything he seems to relish those encounters. 

Having him (and Alisson) on the park for us is huge - best business done by the club in a long time.

[didi shamone]

I'd been raving to mates about him long before we were linked. But I always said there was no way he'd end up at Liverpool. Had him a cert for one of the Mancs or Chelsea. I underestimated Klopp massively.

[So… Howard Philips]

I was the opposite in that I was telling people we had paid top dollar but for an elite level defender.
Bunch of lads I play footie with weren't having it - saying he was good but in no way as good as I was making out.

He's the complete package - ability on the ball, speed, size & strength, positional awareness, leader and - for me the biggest one - he's got the cojones to play for a club of Liverpool's stature.  The massive games don't faze him and if anything he seems to relish those encounters. 

Having him (and Alisson) on the park for us is huge - best business done by the club in a long time.

And Fabinho looks to have the same quality of calmness as well. A great defensive spine.

[Kekule]

Collymore

Until it's too good to turn down?  Alright. Their entire first team squad, and they agree to continue to pick up their wage bill, £500 million and Van Dijk back on loan for 7 years, no cancellation clause and with an obligation to buy for £10,000 at the end. I'm willing to chuck in Adam Bogdan as a sweetner.

Not a penny less.

[daggerdoo]

He's a bit of a tit, but I can see where he's coming from. If they were to offer 2/3 of their fantastic attacking players in exchange, I think some might (a very dubious might) go for it. The thing is, Virg makes the rest of the defense go up a level, maybe even the whole team.

So no thank you. He really is worth a lot more than 75 mil

The comparisons to former defenders. I haven't seen many great CB's since I started following us in the early 90's. Mark Wright always came across as a solid defender, remember watching him for Englund a few times. Sammi and Cara gave me some of the best nights of my life, and Dan Agger had all the tools to be an amazing defender if it weren't for the injuries. The one that stands out though is Phil Babb. Remember watching him at USA '94. Could seamlessly slot in at left back too!

[Chakan]

He's a bit of a tit, but I can see where he's coming from. If they were to offer 2/3 of their fantastic attacking players in exchange, I think some might (a very dubious might) go for it. The thing is, Virg makes the rest of the defense go up a level, maybe even the whole team.

So no thank you. He really is worth a lot more than 75 mil

It’s john stones and otamendi!! How can we say no??

[daggerdoo]

It’s john stones and otamendi!! How can we say no??

Depends how much you really rate those two 

[Chakan]

Depends how much you really rate those two 

It's John Stones. Really all that needs to be said doesn't it?

The man the myth the legend!

[slaphead]

When we've had players in the past, I've always had a small part of me thinking that if the offer was big enough there could be an argument to sell them if it was re-invested to strengthen wisely.
Van Dijk changes that whole perspective for me though.  He is the first players I've ever classed as completely priceless.
Not only because he the best CB I've ever seen, or that he is just so ridiculously good, but no Van Dijk means Robertson, TAA, Matip, Lovren, Gomez games all suffer, he's that influential.
You heard Robertson say it not that long ago, he keeps him right, he can play his game as he knows Virgil is never out of position. The confidence that gives to a full back in invaluable. If you don't have that as a full back, you're indecisive.
I've honesty never seen a single players have as much influence on a whole team.

[daggerdoo]

It's John Stones. Really all that needs to be said doesn't it?

The man the myth the legend!

If we could get 'The next Gerrard', Ross Barkley to play just ahead of him, yeah?

[Tobelius]

It's John Stones. Really all that needs to be said doesn't it?

The man the myth the legend!

Average midfielder pretending to be a defender

[sinnermichael]

Think he's being interviewed on The Premier League Show tonight. Trent aswell.

[Son of Spion]

And Fabinho looks to have the same quality of calmness as well. A great defensive spine.

A few more good performances from Fabinho and Collybore will have him sold off to City to partner Virgil next season. 

[alonsoisared]

Some of this talk about him leaving is obviously extremely premature and a bit of wishful thinking from some quarters of the press. However it does have to be said that he's the best defender in the world right now, absolutely world class and if we don't win trophies there's absolutely no doubt that Madrid or Barcelona would sniff an opportunity. Part of what makes him so great is that self confidence, bordering on arrogance, he is well aware of how good he is at the moment.

I read FourFourTwo magazine now and then, an issue a few months ago wound me up because they were talking about him eventually making the final "step up" by fulfilling his dream to move to Barcelona. He said it was no secret that's where he always wanted to end up, or words to that effect. He's the cover star this month so I bought it and he says he hopes to be here, winning trophies, in another five years from now. So maybe we can relax for the time being It's a decent interview actually and gives a great insight into how he operates. Anyone flapping about the title challenge and the prospect of anyone "bottling" it should pick it up because it'll chill you right out, this bloke is as cool as they come and as determined as can be to win.

His performance against Everton last weekend was absolutely out of this world, not sure i've seen a better performance from a centre half. He won absolutely everything, got himself in the right places at the right times and as much as Salah might have gained us a couple of points, Virgil saved us big time from losing one. He is an absolute colossus. The look he gave Fabinho after he misplaced that pass...

[Mighty_Red]

I wouldnt read anything into the transfer bollocks, all designed to put us off our game, similar to all the Salah crap we had last year.

Fact is , VVD pretty much had his pick of clubs, he chose us and only a dramatic change of circumstances in the next few years will change that.

He is to the defensive portion of the team what Suarez was to our attack. Klopp was right about him, just wish Channel 4 had footage of that first date in Blackpool 

[Dazzer23]

Collymore, bless him.Take it nobody has told him that City badly wanted him last year but he wasn’t interested. And that was when we were floundering around in 4th/5th. Why on earth is he gonna want to go there now?!

[jooneyisdagod]

I was the opposite in that I was telling people we had paid top dollar but for an elite level defender.
Bunch of lads I play footie with weren't having it - saying he was good but in no way as good as I was making out.

He's the complete package - ability on the ball, speed, size & strength, positional awareness, leader and - for me the biggest one - he's got the cojones to play for a club of Liverpool's stature.  The massive games don't faze him and if anything he seems to relish those encounters. 

Having him (and Alisson) on the park for us is huge - best business done by the club in a long time.

Same here. I was convinced we were signing an elite defender when we did get him. About two games in, I said he was the best defender I've seen at LFC. That's all it took to convince me of how good he is.

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[jooneyisdagod]

And so far as the talk of him leaving goes, fuck that. I wish some of our fans had the cojones that Van Dijk, Alisson and Fabinho do.

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[darragh85]

city already tried to sign Van Dijk. he chose to join us

[Caston]

Never knew he had that tattoo!

[ThePoolMan]

No surprise this morning to see the likes of Crooks et al trying to sell him to a Spanish team just over a year after telling us no defender in the world was worth £75 million.  They don’t like us having nice things. 

Not sure the lad himself is in any rush just yet. There was a reason he chose us when he had his pick of clubs last year, so Crooks should get back in his box (someone will need to deflate him first of course).

Real arent our level anymore and they are only going to get worse if they are appointing Mourinho...

[SlowRap]

Real arent our level anymore and they are only going to get worse if they are appointing Mourinho...

yep team that's won 4CLs in 5 years isn't on the level of a team that's won 1 league cup in 10, yep.

[SpartanTree. No deccies or lights.]

The look he gave Fabinho after he misplaced that pass...

I love that about him - definitely helps to raise the performance of those around him.

[Petadroli]

He had a nice interview with Gary Lineker on the Premier League Show, saying he wants to win everything possible here. And apparently he feels great at our club. Talk of him leaving is unfounded and designed to unsettle the club.

[red1977]

city already tried to sign Van Dijk. he chose to join us

Lazy shite by Collimore and the newspaper. Its just filling column inches with what is clearly a load of "what if" bollocks.

[JC the Messiah]

[Lush is the best medicine...]

Collymore

to be fair if they offered their oil fields as well I’d take that

[thejbs]

Actually can't believe we only paid £75 for this guy! My favourite player by a mile. He's on cheat mode.

[Clayton Bigsby]

What is this dribbled passed stat I keep hearing about? Is it actually true?

Need him at his imperious best against Munich. Gonna be one hell of a game