We read with interest Virgil Van Dijk’s comments today about his return from injury, a severe knee injury, which of course killed his entire season last campaign.
The 30-year old defender, widely regarded as the world’s best (well, until his injury anyway), has been on the long road back to fitness but his comments today on how it’s going are intriguing:
“I know there are a lot of eyes pointing in my direction. They were already before but will be now even more, but it’s something I’m not thinking about. I feel like I am improving. I have work to do but I don’t think about what others have to say or judge. The only thing I can do is try my best each and every game. Everybody knows how difficult it is to come back from a knee injury. I don’t think there are a lot of examples of players who had an ACL and complex knee injury that gets back to his best after a year. The only thing to get there is to play games, to get better, to get more confident in the things you do, get back to normal things.”
Now, what’s the big stand-out here? The fact that VVD IS playing those games. That he gained physical fitness and now the road to getting match sharpness and form back lies ahead – by playing matches.
Indeed the big Dutchman has played every match this season of a resurgent Liverpool’s campaign, and while he’s not yet at his vintage world class best, he’s getting there.
Our point?
Look at the difference between Liverpool’s treatment of Van Dijk, and Steven Gerrard’s of Niko Katic.
Exactly the same situation, a big strong stopper, but our manager comes out with how he needs minutes so he has to go out on loan.
Liverpool’s stopper, on the other hand, is given his minutes with his club.
It shows just how differently both players are seen by their managers.
Make no mistake, had this been Goldson, he’d have been back in the team the second he was fit again. But in Katic’s case, Gerrard comes out with hogwash about him needing minutes and how he can only get them away from Rangers.
Well, it’s not strictly hogwash – he can only get them away from Rangers because our manager doesn’t rate the Croat.
It’s a shame, and Van Dijk’s quotes show that the best way to get the best out of your player coming back from injury is to trust him and use him.
Not send him away.
Katic isn’t our VVD though. Your not comparing like for like. Katic was 3/4th choice if Liverpools 3/4th choice cb Nathaniel Phillips was coming back from the same injury would he be playing every game for Liverpool?
Didn’t say he was, in fact, the article is pointing out exactly that point. That Gerrard’s reasoning on Katic is different to the same situation Klopp was in with VVD BECAUSE of the importance of the player, not the actual injury recovery facts. If Katic was our VVD Gerrard wouldn’t have sent him out, just like we point out he wouldn’t have sent out Goldson.
Katic should be in our starting 11 full stop
I’ve said all along that sending Katic out on loan made perfect sense to me. The lad had a potentially career ending injury and needs lots of games to strengthen the knee and build his confidence again. It would’ve been a big risk to put him straight back into the team. Van Dyke playing at 80% capacity is probably still better than other Centre Backs at Liverpool and he is surrounded by top class players to help him out. You couldn’t honestly say the same about Katic.
So playing VVD straight back into the team isn’t a big risk but playing Katic is? Why?
Comments are closed.