Liverpool appears to be regaining their form, but it’s evident that they haven’t fully reclaimed their former dominance.
Despite an impressive season, they are far from the powerhouse that effortlessly clinched the Premier League title in 2019/20.
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The decline of Liverpool, as highlighted by Micah Richards on the BBC Match of the Day Top 10 Podcast, is underscored by the performance of one player in particular, Virgil van Dijk.
Richards believes that Van Dijk’s standards have dropped in recent years, attributing this decline to the ACL injury he suffered a couple of years ago.
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According to Richards, Van Dijk has lost a step or two in terms of speed since the injury.
“I saw it when he was at Celtic, I knew he was going to be a star, just effortless, coming out with the ball, fast and strong. His standards have dropped. When you do your cruciate it takes a while. Everyone is lumping on him saying that he’s lost a yard of pace, you’re going to lose a yard of pace when you do your cruciate,”
Richards said.
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This assessment is hard to dispute. Virgil van Dijk, who exhibited immense potential during his time at Celtic and became a star, has indeed experienced a decline.
The impact of a cruciate ligament injury takes a toll, and losing some speed is a natural consequence of such an injury. It’s a reality that many might not want to acknowledge, but it was always a possibility.
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While Van Dijk remains a world-class player, it’s difficult to deny that he is no longer at the peak of his abilities.
At the age of 32, maintaining the same levels of performance after such an injury is even more challenging. His current form may not justify considering him one of the greatest defenders of all time.
Liverpool is my Religion and Anfield is my Church. 17th May 1996 the date I had my blood coloured red. The one you love the most you can not live without it and that is football to me.
