Van Dijk back at Saints still looking for permanent sidekick

LONDON: Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk returns to the club who sold him in a world record fee for a defender today still unsure as to who will partner him at the heart of Jurgen Klopp’s defence.

Van Dijk has experienced a mixed start to his Liverpool career since joining for £75 million from Southampton last month after a prolonged and sometimes acrimonious sixmonth pursuit.

The 26-year-old Dutchman scored the late winner on his debut in the FA Cup tie against Everton but missed the league win over Manchester City, before struggling in defeats against Swansea and West Bromwich when he was partnered by Cameroonian Joel Matip.

After being dropped to the bench for the win over Huddersfield Town, when Dejan Lovren played alongside Matip, Van Dijk was restored to the defence alongside the Croat in last week’s 2-2 home draw with Tottenham, impressing up to the point he conceded a controversial last-minute penalty.

Van Dijk arrived with a reputation for being an organiser who could finally bring discipline to a defence which has struggled badly, particularly from set-pieces, under Klopp.

While there were signs of greater stability against Spurs, the two penalties conceded in the game suggested the old problems have yet to be eradicated. “There’s a part of him which just switches off when it is a bit too easy, which if he’s going to be a captain he has to eradicate from his game,” said former Southampton captain Matt Le Tissier on Sky Sports.

“He needs to be a better organiser, which will come with experience”. – Reuters