Jamie Carragher picked his top three Premier League players and says he won’t ‘judge’ Virgil van Dijk on these first eight games. The Dutchman has had a difficult start.
Jamie Carragher picked his top three Premier League players on Monday Night Football, along with Roy Keane. Notably, Carragher still found room for Virgil van Dijk on his list.
“Kevin De Bruyne, I think he’s been the best player in the league for four or five years,” said Carragher. “You’ve got to say [Erling] Haaland now – he’s an absolute global superstar.
“And despite his form this season, I’m still going to say Virgil van Dijk because I think he’s been absolutely amazing over the last four or five years and transformed Liverpool.
“He hasn’t been great [this season] but I’m not going to judge him on eight games when he’s been amazing for five years.”
Van Dijk didn’t make Keane’s selection, however. De Bruyne, Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo were his picks – we’ll let that last one lie.
Virgil van Dijk in Premier League top three players
It’s a really awkward one to judge. On ability? Absolutely. On form? It’s impossible to pick Van Dijk.
The Dutchman is at a ‘disadvantage’, mind. He’s playing in a team that just isn’t clicking together whatsoever, leaving the defence permanently exposed. That will make life harder for every player on the planet.
Put Haaland in a team that doesn’t create chances and he won’t look like a world-beater. Put De Bruyne in a team that can’t get him the ball and he’ll look anonymous. Even the world’s best players need a functioning team – it’s how you get their absolute best.
Van Dijk doesn’t have that right now and looks weaker for it. We have absolutely no doubt, though, that a functioning team would see him quickly be the world’s best centre-back once again. Now it’s up to Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp to make that happen.
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