I think we may be rediscovering one of Virgil van Dijk’s biggest weapons.
His passing.
We all know Van Dijk can hit a 40 or 50-yard pass.
We’ve seen it for years.
But there is a big difference between being able to make those passes and having players ahead of you who can actually exploit them.
And I think that is what has changed at Liverpool.
Van Dijk can turn defence into attack
Watch Van Dijk when Liverpool win the ball.
He doesn’t always want to play a simple pass into midfield.
If he sees a winger making a run behind the opposition defence, he can completely bypass the midfield and turn a defensive situation into an attacking one in seconds.
That has always been part of his game.
The problem is that Liverpool haven’t always had enough pace ahead of him to make those passes worthwhile.
Now?
It’s different.
Barcola changes the picture
Bradley Barcola has just arrived and immediately showed exactly what Liverpool have been missing.
He recorded a top speed of 35.9km/h on his Premier League debut against Ipswich, the fastest recorded in the league this season. Victor Muñoz and Alexander Isak have also reached 34.8km/h for Liverpool.
That matters to Van Dijk.
Because when Barcola starts running in behind, Van Dijk has a reason to look up.
He knows there is a player who can actually get onto the end of that ball.
And if Van Dijk hits it early enough?
Barcola can turn it into a one-on-one.
That’s an enormous weapon.
Muñoz gives him another option
It’s not just Barcola.
Víctor Muñoz has also brought serious pace and energy into Liverpool’s attack.
He has already been among Liverpool’s quickest players this season, with a recorded top speed of 34.8km/h.
That gives Van Dijk another runner.
He can look left.
He can look right.
He can find Isak through the middle.
Suddenly, Liverpool’s centre-backs have multiple forward options.
That makes the long pass much more dangerous.
And then there is Ngumoha
Rio Ngumoha is another player who can change the dynamic.
He’s still incredibly young and we shouldn’t put too much pressure on him.
But he has that explosive quality.
He wants to attack defenders.
He wants to run into space.
And, crucially, he gives Liverpool another player who can turn a pass from deep into an attacking situation.
Liverpool now have several players who can sprint beyond the opposition’s defensive line.
That is a completely different proposition for Van Dijk.
Was Van Dijk’s passing actually disappearing?
I don’t think it was.
I think the options ahead of him changed.
And this is where I think Liverpool supporters sometimes need to look beyond the individual player.
When Mohamed Salah was getting older and no longer had the same explosive acceleration he had earlier in his Liverpool career, those huge diagonal passes towards the right wing became less dangerous.
Salah was still an incredible footballer.
His movement, intelligence and finishing remained outstanding.
But he wasn’t going to repeatedly sprint 40 yards beyond a full-back in the way he once could.
And that changes what a centre-back can do.
Gakpo isn’t that type of player
Cody Gakpo is another interesting example.
I really like Gakpo.
And his two assists for Isak against Ipswich were superb.
But he’s not a traditional explosive winger who is constantly looking to sprint behind the defensive line.
His strengths are different.
He’s powerful.
Technically excellent.
Good in the air.
Capable of carrying the ball and combining with teammates.
But if Van Dijk sees a huge amount of space behind the opposition defence, Gakpo isn’t necessarily going to attack it at the same speed as Barcola or Muñoz.
So Van Dijk may choose the safer pass.
And that’s understandable.
Now he has reasons to take risks again
This is what excites me.
Van Dijk can look up and see pace.
Barcola.
Muñoz.
Ngumoha.
Isak.
And suddenly that huge diagonal isn’t just a hopeful pass.
It’s a weapon.
If the opposition push their full-backs high, Liverpool can hit the space behind them.
If they defend deeper, Liverpool can work the ball through midfield.
And if they lose possession while committing players forward?
Liverpool can counter-attack at frightening speed.
That’s exactly the kind of football Alexander Isak has already said he enjoys under Andoni Iraola — attacking when the opposition are disorganised and exploiting counter-attacks.
Iraola could bring Van Dijk back into the attack
This is another reason I’m becoming increasingly interested in Iraola’s Liverpool.
He doesn’t want the team simply to have possession for the sake of it.
He wants them to recognise when the opposition is vulnerable.
And Van Dijk is perfectly equipped to exploit that.
He can see the pass before most people can.
He has the technique to execute it.
Now Liverpool have more players capable of making the run.
That’s the missing piece.
Van Dijk’s passing wasn’t gone
Maybe we were looking at it the wrong way.
Perhaps Van Dijk didn’t suddenly become less capable of changing defence into attack.
Perhaps Liverpool simply stopped giving him enough runners to make those passes worthwhile.
Now the picture has changed.
Barcola has explosive pace.
Muñoz has explosive pace.
Ngumoha has explosive pace.
Isak can attack space.
And suddenly Van Dijk has options again.
That’s potentially huge for Liverpool.
Because when your centre-back can win the ball, look up and immediately launch a runner behind the opposition defence, you don’t need ten passes to move from defence to attack.
You need one.
Virgil can still hurt teams from 50 yards
I think we’re going to see more of it under Iraola.
Van Dijk receiving the ball.
Head up.
Spotting Barcola or Muñoz flying into space.
Bang.
Defence becomes attack.
And if Liverpool have finally surrounded their captain with enough pace to make those passes dangerous again…
We could be about to rediscover one of the best weapons in Van Dijk’s game.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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