For Virgil van Dijk to spearhead the Netherlands in the upcoming international tournament next year, a Dutch football commentator suggests he needs to rediscover his peak form for Liverpool.
While recognized as No.3 in a prominent football publication’s compilation of all-time Premier League defensive stars, the Liverpool team leader has faced scrutiny amidst a slump in performance with the team now managed by Arne Slot.
Virgil van Dijk’s Position Potentially Weakening
According to journalist Henk Spaan, both Matthijs de Ligt of Manchester United and Jurien Timber of Arsenal should be considered ahead of Van Dijk for a spot in Ronald Koeman’s squad as the Netherlands prepares for the international competition in 2026.
Since 2018, Van Dijk has held the captaincy for his national side. However, at times, he has faced criticism in his native country, with some believing his performances for the Netherlands rarely match his level of play for Liverpool.
As Van Dijk now receives criticism about his form with his club, Spaan suggests Koeman should evaluate his available choices when determining who will constitute his defensive lineup at the upcoming international tournament.
This suggestion arises despite the Dutch team having kept clean sheets in five out of six qualifying matches, ensuring their participation in the tournament with a victory in their next match against Poland in a couple of weeks.
It is worth acknowledging that Spaan has been a long-standing critic of Van Dijk, frequently expressing the view that the center-back should be removed from the national team.
As an example, Spaan was among several Dutch commentators advocating for Van Dijk’s exclusion from the Netherlands’ semi-final match against England during the Euro 2024, which would have been a decidedly audacious decision.
According to Soccer News reporting, Spaan has once again voiced his views, suggesting that Van Dijk’s position is being challenged by a duo of Premier League competitors. He stated: “England has been abuzz with Timber and De Ligt.”
“Until recently, [Timber] would bypass Bukayo Saka, who often cut inside. However, now Timber tends to play a bit more forward in the inside, thus allowing Saka to remain positioned on the wing.”
“[De Ligt’s] performance improves with each week. The offensive movements of [Matheus] Cunha and [Bryan] Mbeumo greatly contribute to the defensive line and afford Fernandes a greater range of movement.”
“I suspect Timber and De Ligt are carefully monitoring Virgil’s current form.”
According to FourFourTwo, Spaan might have a partial point on this matter, irrespective of his critical stance.
There’s no doubt that Van Dijk has exhibited performance levels considerably below those of his prime, when he was a seemingly impenetrable defender earning high praise.
The central defender’s dip in form has gradually unfolded over the last few seasons, particularly after the severe knee injury that sidelined him for a significant portion of the 2020/21 season.
Even with the major international competition just around the corner in seven months, there remains a substantial amount of games to be played until season’s end, yet the tournament’s imminence might deter Koeman from prematurely sidelining a long-relied-upon player.
