Paul Merson has stated that Virgil van Dijk is ‘trying to make it look easy’ even though he is ‘not playing at 100%’ for Liverpool.
The outspoken TV pundit feels Van Dijk has been ‘pulled all over the place’ this season, as he told Soccer Special on Sky Sports (28/09/21 at 7:15 pm).
The game that was being referenced was Liverpool 3-3 draw against Brentford over the weekend and Van Dijk’s tough battle against Ivan Toney.
Even though Toney didn’t go on the scoresheet, he provided Van Dijk and Joel Matip with the toughest night of their season so far.
But Merson thinks Van Dijk isn’t in the place where he was before his injury, and even though he is a ‘Rolls-Royce’ defender, he still needs time to get back to his best.
“I am his biggest fan, Van Dijk, I think he’s an outstanding player, I really do,” said Merson. “I think he’s the Rolls-Royce of centre-halves.
“I think he is trying to play like Rolls-Royce, at the moment. I think he’s not playing at 100%. He’s trying to make it look easy and it is easy, for him, at times. But sometimes you come up against someone, I wouldn’t say scare you, but they (battle against Toney) will have a go.
“Van Dijk can’t do it all. But, at the moment, he is being pulled all over the place because he has to do everybody else’s job.
“They get to a stage now, ‘Oh, we can all bomb on and he can look after everybody’. He has had a big injury. He is the best in the world. But players are leaving him, like it’s two years ago, before his injury. It takes time.”
Van Dijk didn’t start Liverpool’s opening night Champions League win against AC Milan, but he was back on the teamsheet last night.
It was a pretty comfortable night for the 30-year-old and his teammates because they cruised to a 5-1 thrashing against Porto.
Since the start of the season, it has been goals-galore by Liverpool, who have already scored eight in two Champions League matches this term.
But their biggest test of the season awaits them at the weekend when they lock horns with Manchester City.
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