Virg 2023/4

[Frogfish]

In the 2023/24 season, no player recorded a higher aerial duel win rate (81.4%) than Virgil Van Dijk across Europe's top five leagues (100+ contested)

 

[MomoWASright]

He looked great this season despite the defensive fuck ups around him. He probably got mentally fatigued right at the end of the season.

Not peak Virgil but showed enough to offer a contract extension.

 

[binomial]

Virgil is still the fucking man. Been a 1 man defensive machine at times.

Isn't there also a stat where he's again the CB that's been dribbled past the least?

 

[StevieM]

Getting a consistent and top quality partner for him has to be a priority for next season.

Konate too injury prone to be anything other than backup.

Quansah a maybe.

 

[Hansern]

I’d say he was pretty close to his peak. Highest rated CB stat wise in the World and just outperformed everyone.
Those Arsenal muffs are trying to have Gabriel and Saliba ahead of him. Laughable.

 

[MomoWASright]

Getting a consistent and top quality partner for him has to be a priority for next season.

Konate too injury prone to be anything other than backup.

Quansah a maybe.

You can’t have an injury prone backup. You’ll know where he will be when needed? Being treated in Thiago’s favourite spot.

 

[StevieM]

You can’t have an injury prone backup. You’ll know where he will be when needed? Being treated in Thiago’s favourite spot.

He’s not the only backup though - that’s this gave Quansah, Gomez & possibly VdB too.

But ideally we’d want our main CB pairing playing as many League games and non-dead rubber CL games as possible - leaving domestic cup games to the backup.

 

[MomoWASright]

He’s not the only backup though - that’s this gave Quansah, Gomez & possibly VdB too.

But ideally we’d want our main CB pairing playing as many League games and non-dead rubber CL games as possible - leaving domestic cup games to the backup.

The point still stands that when we need him that he won’t be available. It happened over and over when we had Lovren.

We ended up managing his minutes last season which is a horrific situation for a young CB when that is the part of the pitch that needs partnerships building. He’s also a French international and won’t stick around to be back up despite his physical fitness.

 

[jan]

I’d say he was pretty close to his peak. Highest rated CB stat wise in the World and just outperformed everyone.
Those Arsenal muffs are trying to have Gabriel and Saliba ahead of him. Laughable.

Gabriel and particularly Saliba had a brilliant season as well to be fair

 

[Hansern]

Gabriel and particularly Saliba had a brilliant season as well to be fair

Yeah, but not better then Virgil. Saliba only wins about 50% of his headers as well. Not good for someone aspiring to be a top CB.

 

[KopRed]

I don't buy it. He is one half of a duo which concedes simple and unnecessary goals, we weren't able to keep clean sheets at all, especially in key matches.

 

[StevieM]

The point still stands that when we need him that he won’t be available. It happened over and over when we had Lovren.

We ended up managing his minutes last season which is a horrific situation for a young CB when that is the part of the pitch that needs partnerships building. He’s also a French international and won’t stick around to be back up despite his physical fitness.

No, I agree to an extent, but he’s no where near as fucking disastrous as Lovren - Konate tends to play really well - just not often enough.

He doesn’t strike me as one of these super-ego’s players, more like a Gomez-type, that sort of recognises if he’s not fit, he’s not getting a game - regardless of where he is and if he does go it’s going to be to a lesser team - so do you stay and be a part of one of the top teams on the planet with a realistic chance of winning things or go and be a mainstay in team that no-one cares about and never wins anything.

The thing with Konate is, if we do get a full season out of him - he’ll be amongst the best defenders in the league.

I think having a free hit with Quansah an U21 for another season means we can retain Konate - I just wouldn’t rely on him to be the main Virgil partner.

Doesn’t fucking matter if he’s injured again and we sign another CB - he can guide us to the lesser parts of the quadruple next season.
M

 

[jan]

Yeah, but not better then Virgil. Saliba only wins about 50% of his headers as well. Not good for someone aspiring to be a top CB.

Still comfortably the best CB partnership in the league tho

 

[Hansern]

Still comfortably the best CB partnership in the league tho

Absolutly, but the best CB is an individual award

 

[Brizzle]

He was superb as a defender, especially with the massive changes in personnel around him. I do think he was lacking as a captain though - we've seen an intense and vocal Virgil in previous years but that just didn't come across this season. Towards the end as we fell apart on the run-in we needed real leadership and he didn't give it.

 

[Brizzle]

Gabriel & Saliba are probably the best pairing, helped by both always being fit. But also helped by having a very consistent set of players around them, and also Arsenal using strong defenders at full back. Tomiyasu/Kiwior are defenders, White was a centre back. It made for a very stable defence at all sides, with Declan Rice playing every game in front of them.