Matt Le Tissier has claimed that one Liverpool hero is now past his best, with the player in question not the out-of-form Mohamed Salah.
So many Reds players have performed well below their best this season, with Ibrahima Konate struggling at centre-back, Alexis Mac Allister a shadow of last season’s superb performer and Salah struggling hugely.
Even Virgil van Dijk hasn’t looked the iconic leader that he so often has in the past, and Le Tissier has told Football Insider that he isn’t the force he once was.
“I do think it’s probably at the back, is the real issue. I think they’ve lost a bit of quality in the full-back areas, and Virgil van Dijk is probably not as superior as he once was,” Le Tissier said.
“I remember watching him play at Southampton and in the first couple of seasons at Liverpool, he was like a man playing a game in kids football. You know, he was that good. He would would just control everything.
“You never saw him out of position. He would never panic. But all of a sudden, I think you’re just starting to see him and Konate not really at their best, and teams are, kind of, thinking, ‘well, do you know what? If we have a go at them, we might have a chance.
“So, yeah, I think the defence (is the biggest issue) at Liverpool. (Arne Slot) is still searching for the right combination in midfield, with (Florian) Wirtz still not firing properly.
“And, obviously, (Alexander) Isak is still not really hitting the heights that he did at Newcastle just yet, but I’m sure that will come. It might just mean that it’ll be another two or three weeks before they really hit their straps.”
Is Van Dijk actually past his best?
This feels harsh from Le Tissier, even though Van Dijk has undeniably not been at his all-conquering best in the past month or so.
Now 34, the Dutchman is always going to be written off by some as soon as his form dips, but the bigger issue is that he is part of a Liverpool team devoid of confidence and balance.
Once Konate and Mac Allister improve, and vital figures such as Alisson and Ryan Gravenberch are fit again, expect to see Van Dijk’s game go up a gear, too.
He isn’t going to go on forever and needs to be managed carefully by Arne Slot, but he remains one of the best centre-backs in the world.
