Virgil van Dijk

Wanyama, VVD and Sammy all gone in the space of a few seasons. I won't let myself fall in love again.

 

Wouldnt really list Sammy in the same category.

 

First game. Puts things into perspective a bit, considering there was a good few who thought he was overrated? Was only a £12m player he was marking though..

 

Mind on MOTD the only Van Dijk highlight they showed was him out of position and Rondon nearly scoring from it lol

 

I seen a little bit of this game live and the comments sound quite correct. He looked unbelievably relaxed playing a high line as if he's played that league for ages. His passes were across the line a lot, waiting for a route into midfield. Very confident passing, other players seem to have an instant rapport with him. I'll miss his ball playing quality but it was time to move on and feel great that it's looking like a good move for him. Game needs more players like Virgil, just hope a few develop with us.

 

Well in that context it i. However he was probably on about £3k a week at Groningen so we tripled his salary.

 

Honestly, when you see the way he plays its kind of puzzling why he was never played as a midfielder, or that he didn't develop at a bigger academy/club. Saying that, 24 is still a good age to push onto that next level and still achieve something in the game.

 

I guess for £9m he also got a two year shop window live development, playing in the SPFL, UCL and ECL? That's a long time for the EPL to assess him. He might have been sloppy and hardly worth 9 or he might be quality whose wages go up. EPL Teams should be the ones to pay the large increase as he was never here long term. Still be surprised if he was on 9 last season. What is he on now? £30k?

Seems fair enough, spot rough diamond, raise his wages, develop that talent over 3 standards of competition above and below EPL. Keep updated with interested parties and if we want to sell we get the highest price. Player is happy cause he would never get straight into the correct team for him.

Is our plan now to spend a 1/3 of Virgil's fee on a other rough diamond who wants 2 or 3 years development and then the EPL Prize signing? 3 seasons would suit us, get some success in Europe. Clubs see that happening they might loan raw talent to us, we develop in a multi competition environment, players will find out how realistic EPL teams are or if not they go elsewhere. For 3 year contracts we have a perfect opportunity to develop European and Scottish players. Keep the ones for our system, sell or loan back the rest for further education. Must be plenty of talent needing a professional structure to progress. Ours amongst a uniqoue few clubs who have UCL ECL and SPFL standards. League is slower to assess, ECL OR UCL for the next step up to professional level.

 

In an age where the typical out and out center back are a dying breed id imagine Virgil was better than most his age when he was developing as a youth.
The dutch are taught to play in different positions, to be comfortable with the ball at their feet. Many (defenders) in the ajax academy, for Example,are made to play in both midfield and defence.

Groningen was the same team Robben played for before PSV (then chelsea). If VVD hadnt come to us, he would habe ended up at one of the big dutch teams, dont be fooled. We won a watch.

 

Plus its worth noting how aerielly dominant he is as well as his distribution from the back. Defence is where he was meant to play.

 

Even when we played him up front he looked the best striker we had in the team

 

What does that even mean? :smiley-laughing002:

 

Duels I think.

Either that or he has an impressive *.

 

Can't be his testicles they're on about, they're imperious, not dominant.
Must be (aerial?) duels.

 

That's what I took out of it anyway.

Big cojones haha

 

See this thing about being out of position and using it as the main criticism.

In the last few weeks I've seen Terry,Hummels,Kompany,Chiellini and more established defenders all be caught out of position,costing goals. It happens in every game and without it happening, we wouldn't see many goals.

 

Starting against Man utd today.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34236981

 

Still feels odd seeing VVD and Wanyama on the same team sheet.

Oh, what could have been...

 

Van Dijk looked silly there

 

Martial raped him