Former Arsenal manager and overall footballing legend, Arsené Weger, put all his knowledge and experience to the test when he tried to break down why Liverpool struggle without Virgil van Dijk.
Wenger was appearing as a pundit on beIN Sport and the French man’s interpretation of why the Reds have struggled without their commanding centre-half is so simple it’s genius.
Simply put, Wenger believes that without Van Dijk’s commanding presence in the box and the ability to clear arial danger this has given opposition teams slightly more time of the ball to keep Liverpool’s defence under pressure.
Arsène Wenger tactically breaks down Liverpool without Virgil van Dijk.#beINPL #LEILIV
Watch Now – https://t.co/RRmQgctETJ pic.twitter.com/zYVc790AzO
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) February 13, 2021
Video courtesy of beIN Sports via Twitter
He also points out that Henderson and Milner were important also in their original positions because they could pick up Van Dijk’s clearances and begin new phases of play with Liverpool in possession.
Since Van Dijk has been out of action Jordan Henderson has had to operate as a centre-half which has not only weakened Liverpool’s defence but their midfield also.
Thankfully for Liverpool fans the much missed van Dijk is back on Merseyside after spending some time in Dubai to rehabilitate, the Mirror reports.
Van Dijk has been out of action since October after he sustained a serious injury in the Merseyside derby following a poor challenge by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
The Dutch defender has been undergoing a strenuous training regime in the Middle East since December with his program designed to get him back playing as soon as possible.
The club and manager Jurgen Klopp have been quite optimistic about Van Dijk’s recovery and have opted to keep him in both their squads for the remainder of the season in the Premier League and Champions League.
According to Liverpool’s official website, manager Jürgen Klopp has described sorely missed central-defender Virgil van Dijk’s ongoing injury rehabilitation as ‘very promising’.
The German didn’t provide a timeframe for the Dutch defenders return but the sooner he finds himself back in the heart of the Liverpool defence the better.