‘Not in the best form’: Virgil van Dijk said to be ‘in a little dip’ at the World Cup

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Virgil van Dijk isn’t in his best form at the World Cup, says Ronald de Boer. That’s to be expected, however, says the Dutchman.

Ronald de Boer isn’t surprised that Virgil van Dijk isn’t at his best during the World Cup. After all, he wasn’t at his best for Liverpool, either. But the former Netherlands forward doesn’t think it’s a worry.

“If you see Liverpool, they’re not doing great,” he told Sky Sports. “That has to do with the whole team and also Virgil van Dijk, so he’s not in the best form of his life.

“But that can happen. You can’t play 10 years in a row, for example, on the same level. There’s always a little dip.

“But I think he’s a marvellous captain for Holland, and he’s going to give everything.”

Virgil van Dijk form at the World Cup

The Netherlands, as a whole, haven’t shown their best in Qatar. That’s despite conceding just one goal in their three group games and qualifying for the Last 16.

In fact, Van Dijk himself used Liverpool for some perspective. He thinks criticism of the Netherlands is harsh, saying that the Reds’ 4-1 defeat to Napoli is an example of a team falling off a cliff.

So he’s not too worried, even if they’re uninspiring thus far. De Boer is right about Van Dijk individually, though – his form has been so great over the last few years that a dip is almost inevitable. It’s just a shame for the Dutch captain that it’s come right at the World Cup.

The Van Dijk of 2018/2019 would arguably be the best player at the tournament, after all. You can’t really say that about his form lately but at his best, the Liverpool star is one of the greatest around.

Maybe the World Cup – and the intense knockout stages – are an opportunity to get his best form back. Van Dijk hasn’t exactly been poor but De Boer is right. There’s more to come.