A beast again tonight
Virgil Van Dijk performances
- Thread starter Cutch
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Beast is right, he looked like a man mountain compared to the pool players.
He's a strange player, blows so hot and cold, tonight he looked a world beater albeit against a shite liverpool then you'll see him against stoke or so next making sloppy mistakes etc, definitely has the potential though and only 25
Could go either way, does remind me of Jerome Boateng's route to the top, went from small clubs (City, HSV) and grew at Bayern into the defender he is today.
Pretty much. I'm not convinced he'll ever fully iron out those mistakes in his game but he has that physicality/height as well as very good ability on the ball, so that will definitely grab him a big move.
Has the physical traits and aggression (when he's arsed) that Jose likes. Could be worth a punt, especially since Jones and Rojo doesn't mind their roles as squad players. That's a very solid four CB rotation if we sell Smalling.
Ends up in the opposition box a hell of a lot for a CB. Very good on the ball for a big centre half.
Has a ton of talent but I question his position discipline at times. Also can't tell if he's the vocal leader organizing the defense.
Made Sturridge look like a small boy.
Smalling has arguably put in more top class performances over the last 2 years compared to the current flavour of the month defender who keeps 2 consecutive clean sheets. He is currently out of form but that's no reason to sell him.
He's starting to look exactly how he did for Celtic. Composed on the ball and just seems so much stronger than attackers as well as being pretty quick.
Has he really? I don't want to hijack the thread so let's just agree to disagree. IMO he was class from after his suspension against City (in LVG's first year) until the first half of last year. Since then, he's done nothing to warrant a first choice spot at United. To be fair, neither has all our other CBs.
I think he's improved hugely. Doesn't get pulled into silly areas anymore and just uses his physicality when necessary. Looks really good
Whether you want to doubt his positioning but he's obviously better than Stones for sure. City should have gone to this guy instead, lucky that they spent £50m on Stones when they actually can get someone cheaper and better like Van Dijk. 
Whether you want to doubt his positioning but he's obviously better than Stones for sure. City should have gone to this guy instead, lucky that they spent £50m on Stones when they actually can get someone cheaper and better like Van Dijk.
Not sure if you'd get much change out of 50m to be honest
Was the stand-out player on the pitch IMO. (Classie was good also.)
And as others have said, he seemed comfortable on the ball, and at ease directing operations.
And as others have said, he seemed comfortable on the ball, and at ease directing operations.
He's a Rolls Royce.
Reminds me of Rio to be honest. He also had those lapses of concentration when he was younger, only once he got a little slower did he take it seriously for 90 minutes.
I would take him all day at united to be honest, he could be a similar level to Smalling but better on the ball.
I would take him all day at united to be honest, he could be a similar level to Smalling but better on the ball.
2 things
1) you guys should sign him - him and Bailly together would be outstanding
2) I wish EA would hurry up and upgrade him on FIFA - I want to use him in career mode!
1) you guys should sign him - him and Bailly together would be outstanding
2) I wish EA would hurry up and upgrade him on FIFA - I want to use him in career mode!
Don't think Rio is a good comparison. Rio was another level defensively but on the ball Van Dijk is much better.. you'd never see Rio playing almost LW at times and constantly bombing forward. Unlike Stones, Van Dijk is very much a natural olden day 'sweeper'.
Not sure if he is a Jose type defender, he'd be perfect at Barca.
Rio played CDM for England a few times, he was definitely capable. He just never had to/never had the licence to do it.
Rio was also the sweeper when playing with Vidic, but sure everybody see's it differently.
Either way if Liverpool did sign him he and Matip would be a good solid defensive pair.
He'd thrived under Mourinho like Lucio did at Inter
I'd have him here, but I think he'll end up at Chelsea or Liverpool.
Was he? I remember Rio regularly appearing on shows like Soccer Ams showboat, when he was at West Ham, he was incredibly skillfull and it took two spells away from there to fully iron out some of the silly little tricks he used to do.
To be fair that is pretty skillful
. I don't really remember that much of Rio from his hammers days in all fairness, so my comments are based purely on his career for England and United.When Rio blossomed into a top defender, he never really became a top top ball playing defender like a Bobby Moore if you get what I mean.. did he have the talent to become that accomplished on the ball, yes maybe but for him to become the world class defender he did.. he focused primarily on the defending side of the game and his playmaking from the back was curtailed.
Whereas guys like Baresi for example combined brilliant ball-playing from the back with exemplary defending. For me when I see Van Dijk, I see a very natural ball playing defender who will always want to be an attacking CB.. for him the question is, how good of a defender is he.. because his ball-playing from the back is already pretty special.
Watch him sign for City for 60m in the summer and then go from top defender to headless chicken.
Can't see Liverpool spending £50m on a CB. City p, the obvious choice imo.
Excellent player that I'd love at OT but he has Chelsea or City written all over him for me. I have a funny feeling its gonna be City, actually. Liverpool won't afford him, they'll be in the mix until the bidding auction really goes to the wire and he goes for something like £45million
Van Dijk is miles ahead of Smalling. I don't think there is a single aspect of football Smalling is better at than Van Dijk.
Look at the way he controls the ball and dictates the game.
He'd fit in at a Barca, a Madrid. I'd love us to go after Van Dijk, him and Bailly would be monstrous. It's annoying, as much like Wanyama before him, he was an obvious candidate for a big team when he was at Celtic. Dembele is the same at the moment.
Celtic Dembele? There is so fecking many of them, hard to keep track.
Yeah. He was excellent at Fulham, and at Celtic he looks in similar boat to Wanyama and VVD before him. Just absolute streets ahead.
VVD is really not very good at all. I think you lot at United should look elsewhere!!!
Depends when. This Jan would have to be sizeably more than in the summer. Not sure what premium it would have to be £10-15m? And what is the starting point? John Stones money? Maybe he should hold on until the summer as I am sure that Madrid will need to replace the 33yo Pepe sometime soon, and that is when their embargo is lifted. One thing did "confuse" me. Apparently Barca were scouting Cedric and turned up a couple of times, including when Cedric was injured and not playing.
I find it laughable that Everton think that they might sign him because of the Koeman connection. He's going to go for big money so that is Manchester x2, Chelsea, Spanish x2. I am not sure that even Liverpool would part with what is needed. Not sure he would go to France or Germany.
He is contracted to 2022 so there is no problem with that, but we are realistic that he won't be with us for that long. It would be lovely if he was here next season but......!! He's still young (25), so he really doesn't need to rush things!!
I find it laughable that Everton think that they might sign him because of the Koeman connection. He's going to go for big money so that is Manchester x2, Chelsea, Spanish x2. I am not sure that even Liverpool would part with what is needed. Not sure he would go to France or Germany.
He is contracted to 2022 so there is no problem with that, but we are realistic that he won't be with us for that long. It would be lovely if he was here next season but......!! He's still young (25), so he really doesn't need to rush things!!
To be fair that is pretty skillful
When Rio blossomed into a top defender, he never really became a top top ball playing defender like a Bobby Moore if you get what I mean.. did he have the talent to become that accomplished on the ball, yes maybe but for him to become the world class defender he did.. he focused primarily on the defending side of the game and his playmaking from the back was curtailed.
Whereas guys like Baresi for example combined brilliant ball-playing from the back with exemplary defending. For me when I see Van Dijk, I see a very natural ball playing defender who will always want to be an attacking CB.. for him the question is, how good of a defender is he.. because his ball-playing from the back is already pretty special.
Rio was an amazing ball playing defender. Complimented the bull in Vidic perfectly. You are severely under rating Rio IMO. And if Van Dijk is as good like you say then he must be really good.
I don't recall many key goals from Rio other than that famous Liverpool goal, or rampaging runs forward when he was a CB here. Maybe I am underrating him, but for me from what I recall of his time here.. he was no Lucio for example who was a proper threat whilst breaking from defence.
Rio was class on the ball in the sense he was never phased when pressured, and his passing was always accurate and he was silky on the ball.. but for me he didn't take that next step to being a proper commander on the ball from the back, dictating the play from the back, for the most part he kept it simple. He was what I call a cultured centre-back, the one who drops deep to clean up the mess and then play it out simply from the back, but not an out and out sweeper who broke through midfield lines and left his defensive position vacant.
I don't know enough about Van Dijk to rank him very highly, especially in relation to how good of a defender he is and therefore I would be extremely reluctant to say he is anywhere near a Rio but I do know that on the ball, for a defender his talent in that respect is not normal.. he's very accomplished when carrying the ball forward.
More reason to get rid of him.
I knew he would be some player even when he was in Celtic, whenever I was watching them, he bossed every game without breaking a sweat.
Out for 3 months apparently. Such a shame, definitely not getting a transfer now. Let's hope he's still a beast after his injury.
Pretty awful news for Southampton. Fonte has gone and now Van Dijk is out for up to 3 months. I wonder who will be lining up at CB beside Yoshida now... Right in time for the match with the scousers; sigh.