For five seasons in the Premier League and Europe, Virgil van Dijk was likely the best defender in the world.
The Liverpool talisman is considered the signing that ignited Merseyside's road to success, culminating in a Premier League title, a UEFA Champions League, and an FA Cup, among other trophies.
Despite the disappointing end to last season, where Liverpool missed out on what would have been a historic quadruple, expectations for this, 2022/2023, season were extremely high, given the heights Liverpool reached last season.
However, poor performances from many key players have put the season into shambles with Virgil van Dijk as one of the key culprits.
Not enough urgency
The Netherlands international has been criticised for a lack of urgency in his play with many commentating that his arrogance has reached a level which is currently not equal to his level of performance.
I would be included to agree as certain moments where van Dijk could have sprinted during matches but decided not to for reasons beyond me have resulted in goals against us.
Philip Billing's goal against Liverpool in Bournemouth's 1-0 win springs to mind.
The centre-back stopped dead in his tracks when Dango Ouattara sprinted past him to play in a ball in the box which Billing snatched onto and latched home past Alisson Becker.
The defender has reached such high levels that only a handful of defenders could say they've reached that it may have gone to his head as he's been one of Liverpool's worst-performing players this season.
Liverpool have conceded 53 goals in all competitions so far this season, while last season they only conceded 48 goals, playing a league-leading 63 games.
The decline of his physical prowess
The defender has been a mainstay in the Liverpool line-up since signing mid-season in 2018.
He hasn't been rotated due to his importance as well as a lack of suitable backup for most of his career at Liverpool.
He's played 50 games or more in three of his five-and-a-half seasons at Liverpool while suffering an ACL injury almost three years ago.
The lack of rotation and the intensity of the games he's played in could be why his play has dropped so suddenly this season.
The question is could van Dijk return to his old form or is this the player Liverpool must get accustomed to?
