If that’s the case then it’s a knock on every single player in the PL really, also Europe as well that allowed 3 teams out of that league to make it into the CL, basically the likes of Mbappe Salah De Bruyne and Neymar are playing against weaker defences, and the defenders are playing against weaker attackers so should stand out more?
Virgil van Dijk | Performances
- Thread starter Samid
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If that’s the case then it’s a knock on every single player in the PL really, also Europe as well that allowed 3 teams out of that league to make it into the CL, basically the likes of Mbappe Salah De Bruyne and Neymar are playing against weaker defences, and the defenders are playing against weaker attackers so should stand out more?
Weird point to make when you just literally had record breaking Ronaldo, Aguerrrrroooo, Messi, Suarez, Kane, among others running at you but carry on. Now that Tokyo 2020 has been postponed the only gymnastics I'm going to see this year is from Utd fans albeit mental. It's not any less enjoyable.
I'm not sure he's talking about Europe as well (he may be) but again you can't argue his point when talking about the PL. Just look at the strikers the likes of United, Chelsea, and Arsenal had compared to now
Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez v Rashford, Martial & James
Drogba v Abraham
Henry v Aubameyang
Liverpool have a great attack right now but I'd argue peak Torres was better than any of the front 3 currently playing for Liverpool
Realistically the only CF's in the PL right now that come close to those playing in late 2000's are Kane and Aguero
Ah yes, Michael Ballack, the famous Utd fan.Weird point to make when you just literally had record breaking Ronaldo, Aguerrrrroooo, Messi, Suarez, Kane, among others running at you but carry on. Now that Tokyo 2020 has been postponed the only gymnastics I'm going to see this year is from Utd fans albeit mental. It's not any less enjoyable.
He just brings the lighter.
Can’t argue with that
Why do people keep disrespecting Salah's numbers? 70 goals in 100 League appearances. Right up there with, and actually slightly better than Kane, Aguero and Henry's games to goals ratio.
So.. PL on a historic landslide in quality of both defenders and forwards? A country that just had all four finalists in Europe? Nope.. I'm not buying that at all. It's like old people living on memories thinking the good old days were way better.
Considering that Giroud mugs off van Dijk pretty much every time they face off - for club and country - it’s pretty sensible to suggest that Drogba and Shearer would cause him no end of problems, too.
Sensible, of course, until the perma-offended Scousers log on and get their collective knickers in a twist.
Again.
Sensible, of course, until the perma-offended Scousers log on and get their collective knickers in a twist.
Again.
Yeah European football isn't quite at the level it was back then, either.
Shearers peak was the mid 90s with Blackburn, the late 90s and early 00s had some great seasons but also many injury problems. No where near the peak.
Like you mentioned
Kane versus Kanoute
Aguero versus Vassell
Salah versus Torres (Salah has a beer record than Torres)
Vardy versus Nugent
Sterling versus SWP
Hazard versus Duff
The quality of the league as a whole has dropped compared to the mid 00's but not to the huge extent that people want to believe.
Though it's surprising that when it comes to rating non United players this argument is brought about constantly but when it comes to discussing United greats from the 90s its never considered, given the quality of the league then was arguably worst than what it is now and the 00's.
Ahh.. The good old days when Liverpool won CL with Traoré at the back and Baros up front
Cos he's a horrible up himself miserable diving cnut who plays for Liverpool.
This forum’s obsession with van Dijk continues to baffle me. Half the thread is Liverpool fans gushing over how good he is, the other half is United fans bumping the thread every time Liverpool concede to try and prove he is overrated 
who cares? He is obviously a good player but football has been gone for 2 months, why we are here obsessing over a Liverpool player I don’t know.
who cares? He is obviously a good player but football has been gone for 2 months, why we are here obsessing over a Liverpool player I don’t know.If you are wondering about this, try to read Firmino thread and be even more confused.This forum’s obsession with van Dijk continues to baffle me. Half the thread is Liverpool fans gushing over how good he is, the other half is United fans bumping the thread every time Liverpool concede to try and prove he is overrated
Why not?
He is easily one of the most successful CB to ever play in the PL.
Long consistent career at the top. Winning countless of trophies.
If anything, Vvd has some way to go.
He’s talking about adebayor
Surely you see the obvious flaw in your attempt to one up me?
What flaw? Again, if you want to discount Van Diyk because the strikers today aren't as great, then we should surely discount all United players from the 90s including Eric, Bruce, Pallister since the era they played in wasn't as good as the mid 00 and currently.
I don't disagree that the quality of league isn't as great as it was in the mid 00. But the difference isn't anywhere near as great as to say Van Diyk wouldn't have been one of the best defenders in that time as well if he played.
Some of your posts on the PL seasons of the past have been questionable but this right here is bordering on being a WUM. Most of those comparisons you made are just silly and you know it.
I don't even know what season you're comparing because Duff, SWP and Kanoute had left those teams by the time Torres was in the league. What does Nugent even have to do with this?
Some of the players mentioned by Ballack are from the late 90's to mid 00's (Shearer, Henry) so if you want to compare players from then then why not Kanoute (who also played in that era for Tottenham) and see how much quality has increased in those teams? Also, the post after mentions Ronaldo, who was a winger at United, then why not wingers from City back then compared to now?
I was just using the logic given in the tweet and follow up posts with other players.
And what about my posts about PL seasons? I said the PL was at it's strongest in the mid 00's and that during the 90's it wasn't at the highest level (evidenced by lack of success in Europe). Again, I'm not at all saying that United players from the 90's are poor/average because of the era, that's absolutely stupid to say, but that's the same logic being used here to try and demote players from this era.
Not sure if this has been mentioned already, but Michael Ballack never said that. It's a fake quote made by a twitter account
Damian Duff was fantastic, what is this nonsense about?
I meant does Rio think Adebayor is up there.
You’re fake news @TheReligion
In 6 or years time when he’s retired no one will put him in the same group as Terry, Adams, Ferdinand and Vidic.
it’s recency and Liverpool bias.
doesn’t mean I think he’s shit - he’s the beat centre back in the league, but there’s no competition.
it’s recency and Liverpool bias.
doesn’t mean I think he’s shit - he’s the beat centre back in the league, but there’s no competition.
The fake news here is VVD is a good player
Oh no you didn’t.
5 year contract, 220k a week at 29.
He must be laughing all the way to the bank.
He must be laughing all the way to the bank.
Wow, can't believe we've fixed him into a relatively low final salary. Maybe he preferred longevity of pay in case he gets injured. If he can play to his supreme level for another two years then that five year contract is looking brilliant.
He's so quick that he may well stay great until he's 34. Not many miles on the clock either. Feels like he only really emerged five years ago.
That must make him Liverpool's highest earner,no ?
Yes, Salah previously was at £200k per week.
This is a ridiculously good piece of business for us, locking up the best defender in the world long-term at "only" £220k per week.
Can't see Gomez, TAA or Robertson leaving in the short term either so our defensive basis is gonna be rock solid for at least the upcoming 2-3 years. Maybe bring in a backup here or there but Matip, Hoever, Milner is already pretty solid too. We should cautiously be looking into finding replacements for our front three now.
Locking VVD up to a 5 year contract seems like very good business. It would be interesting to see what happens to the front 3 in terms of new contracts, they probably would want some more ££. If they get offered a 5 year deal at 220/230k each then there will be issues with them going into their mid 30's with bumper deals.
Think Mane got a new contract until 2025 only last year, and Salah and Firmino signed new contracts until 2023 in 2018. Those contracts would become an issue after next season, so all good for now. Think they all wanna win as much as possible right now and see where they're at once they're nearing 30. Given that Salah and Firmino will be 31 and 32 when their current contracts run out, can't see them signing any new long-term contracts at Liverpool. Maybe a one or two-year extension with a slight pay bump.
Barring bigger injuries centre backs barely decline too quickly turning 30, so locking him up for 5 years without completely destroying their wage structure is good business for Liverpool.
He'll lose a bit of pace but that's it.
Edit: and yet again someone has mingled with his age, he's not even 29 yet he turns 29 next month. So Liverpool have him under contract until 33, that's the perfect period for a CB.
He'll lose a bit of pace but that's it.
Edit: and yet again someone has mingled with his age, he's not even 29 yet
he turns 29 next month. So Liverpool have him under contract until 33, that's the perfect period for a CB.SorryBarring bigger injuries centre backs barely decline too quickly turning 30, so locking him up for 5 years without completely destroying their wage structure is good business for Liverpool.
He'll lose a bit of pace but that's it.
Edit: and yet again someone has mingled with his age, he's not even 29 yet
I should have put,
"He's 4 weeks away from his 29th birthday"
Yeah, that would've been accurate but it's okay, you wanted to make it sound as if he's turning 30 soon, I've seen the pattern often enough in transfer talks.
He's turning 30 next year.
He probably will be 29 by the time he signs the contract.