Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has tried to explain the reason Virgil van Dijk has struggled a bit this season to regain his usual form. The towering Dutchman is clearly looking a shadow of his former self since the start of the new season. Liverpool have kicked-off this season on the wrong foot, with just two wins from the first six games in the Premier League.
Further on, they have frequently leaked goals managing a mere two clean-sheets across those six outings. Many have already assessed that Van Dijk failing to click into his usual form is the big reason the Reds are unable to attain consistency with results. The center-back’s long-term ACL injury back in October 2020 seems to have taken a toll over his form, keeping him from getting back to his best.
Murphy believes Virgil van Dijk is ‘playing within himself’
Ever since Virgil van Dijk signed for the Merseyside club in 2018 from Southampton, they have had a rock solid backline which has been almost impossible to breach. The 31-year-old’s presence in the Liverpool defense has earned them lucrative rewards as they went on to clinch their first Premier League title in 30 years in 2019/20 season. Van Dijk has also helped the Reds to their sixth Champions League title, among five other trophies.
However, the ACL injury in October 2020 forced him to miss the rest of the season as Liverpool were unable to cope without him. The Reds even found to difficult to finish in the top four, somehow managing it in the closing stages of the season. They failed to defend their Premier League title which was reclaimed by Manchester City.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Danny Murphy gave an insight on what exactly could be going on with the Dutch international. He explained:
“He [Virgil van Dijk] is not up to his level. Before his injury he was arguably looking like one of the best centre-halves we’ve ever seen. The injury, which is a huge one and he’s come back from, although he’s not had problems missing games I think psychologically he’s not in the same place.
“What I mean by that is not wanting to be as physically engaged with players and tackles, although he had the studs one at the weekend. He’s playing within himself a little bit without knowing it. I’ve played with players who have had ACL injuries before and when they come back you can see them doing it. We are talking about someone who has set ridiculously high standards and even when he’s dropping below them at the moment he’s still brilliant compared to a lot of other centre-halves.”
On the other hand, Virgil van Dijk is still searching for his top-form as many sides preyed on his struggles last season as well. Jurgen Klopp’s side was full in contention for an unprecedented quadruple, only to end up with a FA Cup and Carabao Cup double. Van Dijk was far from his best in the Champions League final as well which they lost to Real Madrid.
Liverpool are now up against Napoli in their Champions League opener, and Klopp will need his powerful center-back at his best. The German will also welcome midfielder Thiago Alcantara back from his hamstring injury as they look to shrug-off their poor form from the Premier League.