Steve Nicol has told ESPN that Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is becoming a problem for club and country because he is playing ‘too high’ in his defensive line.
The Reds legend stated that Holland’s goalless draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina proved this and, just like at club level, it’s making his teammates ‘vulnerable’.
Van Dijk went into the international games having perhaps played the worst game of his career to date as the champions of England conceded a mammoth seven goals at Aston Villa.
Nicol feels that both at club and country level, Van Dijk is playing ‘too high’, and as a result, that’s an issue when opposition teams target the space in-behind.
“I just think he’s too high,” Nicol told ESPN. “When you are defending a line, it’s all about percentages and right now he’s pulling up everybody far too high. It’s as simple as that.
“Sometimes, it’s always good to try and get things perfect. I don’t have a problem with that. But when you are gambling then that’s just going over the line.
“I think with Liverpool, he’s five yards too high and [against Bosnia] he was doing the same with the Dutch backline because the Bosnian’s got in probably four times. This made them look a little vulnerable and it just smacked off what happens at Liverpool right now.”
Whilst Van Dijk wasn’t himself at Villa Park last time out, he will no doubt be back to his best sooner rather than later.
There’s a reason the towering Dutchman is perhaps the best defender in the world right now and it’s not because of what he’s done over a few games, but over a couple of years.
Liverpool will be hoping all of that positive form floods back because the champions are set to take on the current Premier League leaders in Everton at the weekend.
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