During Liverpool's recent pre‑season friendly against Como, a relatively quiet incident unfolded that may have larger implications for the club's upcoming campaign. The match, which ended in a 2‑0 victory for Andoni Iraola's side thanks to a debut performance from Jeremy Jacquet, featured a brief but telling dispute between midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and captain Virgil van Dijk. Szoboszlai pressed high, only to see the ball slipped past him into the space behind the Dutch defender.
Visibly irritated, Szoboszlai questioned why Van Dijk had not advanced to close the gap. Fast forward to the opening weeks of the Premier League season, and a similar scenario emerged in Liverpool's clash with Newcastle United. Within the first five minutes, Liverpool conceded a goal that many pundits, including former player Jamie Carragher, traced back to Van Dikk's reluctance to push up the field.
While Anthony Elanga's 61‑metre run attracted most of the headlines, the underlying issue was that William Osula was able to feed the ball to the attacker without any defender pressing, exposing a potential weakness in Liverpool's defensive shape. Carragher summed up the observation succinctly: "Virgil van Dijk should be higher initially and if he is higher he could then make the challenge there." He added a note of context, reminding viewers that Van Dijk is now 35 years old and approaching the twilight of a career that has already seen him rank among the finest centre‑backs in modern football. This observation mirrors a pattern seen with other veteran defenders, such as John Terry under Andre Villas‑Boas, who also preferred to stay deeper rather than chase high‑pressing attackers.
The broader question is whether Liverpool's new manager, Andoni Iraola, can adapt his tactical blueprint to accommodate a captain whose physical attributes may no longer match the demands of an aggressive, high‑pressing system. Iraola earned a reputation at Bournemouth for constructing one of the most dynamic, forward‑driven sides in the Premier League. His approach, however, places significant strain on the back line, especially when the team commits to pressing high up the pitch. Bournemouth, for instance, recorded the highest direct speed against any team last season, meaning opponents often advanced the ball more quickly than any other side.
That style, while exciting, left space behind the defense that could be exploited by quick transitions. At Liverpool, similar challenges are emerging.
In the Newcastle match, Milos Kerkez struggled to keep up with Elanga, and the scenario did not play to Van Dijk's strengths. While the Dutchman still possesses a superb reading of the game, excellent aerial ability, and a wide passing range, his pace—particularly when required to cover large areas at the halfway line—has noticeably waned. Data from his Premier League career shows that his highest recorded top speed came during his debut season with Southampton, shortly after leaving Celtic. Even his fastest sprint in a Liverpool shirt was logged during the title‑winning 2019‑20 campaign under Jurgen Klopp, a period that now feels distant.
Over the past three seasons, Van Dijk's top speed has steadily declined, turning his reliance on physicality and positional intelligence into a necessity rather than a choice. This shift becomes problematic when the spaces he is asked to manage expand, especially if the midfield unit in front of him presses aggressively without the defender providing the necessary cover.
In such cases, the risk of being caught out of position increases, potentially leading to the kind of goal‑conceding opportunities seen against Newcastle. The brief tension between Szoboszlai and Van Dijk during the pre‑season match seemed to dissolve quickly. After Van Dijk converted a penalty to secure a point at St James' Park, he praised Szoboszlai's leadership qualities, stating, "He is here to take over." Yet the underlying issue remains: how long can Van Dijk continue to fulfill the dual role of a deep‑lying organizer and a high‑pressing anchor as Iraola's tactics demand? This dilemma arrives at a pivotal moment for Liverpool.
Mohamed Salah's status at the club shifted dramatically earlier in the season, and now the focus turns to whether Van Dijk can adapt to Iraola's system or if the manager will need to adjust his approach to protect his ageing yet still world‑class centre‑back. The answer will likely shape Liverpool's defensive resilience and overall identity throughout the campaign, making Van Dijk's role a key storyline to watch as the season progresses.