Virgil Van Dijk

[Rotpeter]

Excerpt from The Divine Comedy (or a general history of Everton Football Club as it is otherwise known)

 

Dante meets Van Dijk outside stadium

 

Virgil: Hey Dante

Dante: Hey Virgil

Virgil: We have something to do first Dante, Our path will take us through Hell and we will eventually reach Heaven.

Dante: Ok big man

 

He Leads me to The Pit, abandon hope all ye who enter here reads the sign.

Virgil: Deep breaths mate, stinks of piss and envy in here.

 

We enter the chasm and descend into the depths of Evertonia. The screaming Boo's assault our senses, cries of murderers, penalty and general other assorted hypocrisy echo from the wooden walls.

A horde of naked Moyes' look vacantly into the distance, protruberant eyes glowing in despair. A prone Fat Sam having his bikini line waxed by various pundits whilst being fed tubes of smints by a parched owl sitting on a pile of cash is next.

A giant slimy Jabba figure appears, tongue lolling aimlessly, dripping sweat with the stench of stale alcohol and decaying tobacco, he has had a hair transplant for some reason and is holding a chain attached to a confused David Unsworth.

Virgil crunches something under his foot, a miniature model of a stadium surround by water no less, we pass a fading cabinet with a cuckoo clock, the bell dings and kenwrights' head pops out, alas the spring is broken and his head falls off.

A light appears and finally we exit the cesspit of broken dreams into the bitter air above.

 

Virgil: Fuck me.

Dante: Yep, you have to see it to believe it.

 

He takes me to the Shankly Gates and it seems we have finally arrived at Paradise.

 

Virgil: You realise I'm a pagan and am forbidden to enter Paradise, right?

Dante: Fuck me.

 

Virgil signs for City the next day.

 

*applauds*

[Section_31]

Said it before and I'll say it again. Shearer reminds me of a CID officer who's won the lottery and comes back into the office now and again purely just to act smug.

[Mathewbet1]

Chuffed, expensive but that's that the market price, we shopped at waitrose for once, he's the best at what he does. ok if it was a case of 60m and loosing out on him that extra 15m will seem cheap, if we can build our defence around him and win a trophy or 5 in the next few seasons.

[Mathewbet1]

Said it before and I'll say it again. Shearer reminds me of a CID officer who's won the lottery and comes back into the office now and again purely just to act smug.

He reminds me of mr potato head, with half the intelligence.

[G Richards]

Matthewbet- are your feelers out for any other transfer related business? Tell us what you know my good man. Thanks in advance.

[dockers_strike]

This is why Klopp had no other alternatives in mind when it went tits up in the summer. No compromise no second choices. Just Virg or no one. For all the shit he got, worked out fine.

[LF:D]

Posted this in MF a few weeks ago, why I still wanted us to get VVD.

 

The reason I'd do it is because he's clearly the one Klopp wants and I can see why as there aren't too many top class CBs around at the moment and we need one.

 

I think Klopp & the recruitment team have lots of different options for certain positions. Look at how many wide players we tried to get before getting Salah. Draxler, Brandt, Dembele, Pulisic etc. Who were all on the list of potential wide players as was Mane - there are probably others I have forgotten.

 

In certain positions I think if we miss out on a certain players, it's a blow, but not a disaster as there are many other options who can do a similar job.

 

However I think Keita and Van Dijk are almost one offs in the current market. Keita is a freak and a one off, so you can see why we went all out for him and were willing to wait for him to come and pay extra to ensure we got him over Barca and others.

 

Van Dijk I feel is similar as whoever we get for CB is probably going to be replacing Lovren in the perceived 1st XI, so partnering Matip, potentially Gomez going forward. If we're taking Lovren out of our team then despite his flaws, we are actually losing our best headerer (is that a word?) of the ball. So whoever comes needs to be as good as Lovren in that regard. VVD was statistically the best CB at heading in the league, in terms of the amount won and success rate.

 

Then we look at the other attributes a potential CB needs. Such as being able to play a high line, deal with opposition attacks one vs one, be strong, good on the ball etc etc - he has those qualities.

 

Then add to the mix he's very vocal, something we've lacked since Carragher has gone a true organiser.

 

Matip I think we all hoped would be a dominant CB. But he's really not. If anything he's like Agger or Ferdinand, a ball playing CB. He's quite a passive character on and off the pitch. He needs a dominant CB alongside him, as would Gomez IMO if he's the future and VVD ticks that box as well.

 

I also think he has that presence on a field which we probably lack. Stam had it when he went to United and they won the treble. Just a brilliant all round CB, who had that size & power which can give his CB a real lift knowing he's in the team and can deal with the physical CBs if needs be. We won't be bullied with VVD IMO.

 

I also think Klopp is looking for sustained success. To build a team for 5+ years and VVD, Keita, Mane, Salah, Firmino, Clyne etc can do that. So although it might be easier to go for the more proven Alderweireld, who I must admit - I like too. But he's older and could he be a foundation in the side in 5 years time? I doubt it give he's be 33 / 34. VVD will still be 31 and in his prime.

 

I get that it's not all about how much you spend. We've got Firmino, Mane, Salah & Keita for the same amount Man U got Lukaku & Pogba. Which shows there is value out there. But I'm not sure we want value when getting the CB to be the foundation of the side for the next 5+ years. I think we need the right player to suit our team and help solve some of our issues. I can't think of a better CB around than VVD to do that, certain not many alternatives unlike there was for Dembele who was Klopps first choice wide player before moving his way down the list before getting Mane & Salah. I genuinely believe Klopp when he says the list of options is short at CB, hence why we're so keen to get VVD.

 

His form doesn't worry me, defending is a team game and he could be pissed off about not being allowed to leave, not fully fit - who knows. Plus when I've watched him he's been fine apart from when he got Firmino'd.

 

But Klopp's Dortmund struggled defensively until he got the right players to play his brand of football which is demanding and you need lots of skills to be effective.

 

If VVD becomes Klopp's Hummels in this LFC team and the most dominant CB in the league. We won't be complaining about the fee!

[corro]

Never liked Shearer. Gormless pundit tramp shithouse lacking in anything worthwhile. Fuck him.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Still a very long way to go before we can consider ourselves close to Evertons level.

He's good, but he's not Michael Keane.

[Winston Wolf]

I'm going to go against the accepted grain here on Shearer. I don't think his opinion on the Van Dijk signing is that over the top, it is a lot of money and Van Dijk has looked sluggish this season.

 

Am I happy about the signing? Fucking right I am, at his best he is just what we need, but any signing for that money is a risk, especially for us, as we don't have the resources of City, United or Chelsea.

 

Southampton have got a good price for him. It's up to us to get him fit and bring the best out of him. If we do, then we have got a real player.

 

Plus, I don't mind him as a pundit or a player.

 

I saw him at Anfield in the 92/93 season for Blackburn and he was mustard. Injury robbed him of a season and a half of his prime.

 

Without those potentially career ending injuries and he would've scored 300 plus goals in his career.

 

For my money, he is still the best striker of the Sky era, he fucked United off when they came calling and I have no problem with him as a fella.

 

In his prime he was everywhere and the striker that others wanted to be.

 

Had we still been the force we were in the 80's, and had Kenny still been our manager in 1992, both Shearer and Roy Keane would've been Liverpool signings and I think our dominance would've continued. Luckily, we signed Stewart, James and other luminaries instead and Souness was ledt to buy them.

 

Hindsight is great I know, but for me now signing Shearer back in 1992 was the first indication that our star had dimmed as a Club.

 

He was a great striker, his achievements are there to be admired and as a pundit, I really don't mind him. There are far worse.

[TheHowieLama]

Ferdinand was one of Utd's best signings ever, title- Campbell was an incredible pickup for Arsenal who became invincible  - Carvalho joined Chelsea in 04 - Vidic joins 6 months before Utd regain the top spot for years.

 

FACTS!!

[TheHowieLama]

He is worthless behind the mic but was brilliant on the field - like most of them.

 

The skill sets are fairly diverse so not really a surprise.

[Lee909]

Shearer seems a right smug cunt.

He showed he was a cunt booting Lennon in the face and pretty much saying ban me and i wont play for England.

 

Fuck him

 

Also Warnock trying to get attention sgain i see

[El Rojo]

Ferdinand was one of Utd's best signings ever, title- Campbell was an incredible pickup for Arsenal who became invincible - Carvalho joined Chelsea in 04 - Vidic joins 6 months before Utd regain the top spot for years.

 

FACTS!!

It’s only in the last few years that we haven’t been very strong there ourselves, though. Hyypia, Carragher, Agger and (at times) even Skrtel were top notch.

[TheHowieLama]

Skrtel and Agger were nowhere near the level of the players mentioned - it has been a long time

[Jockey]

Shearer isn't out of order saying he is overpriced - he is for saying it is a panic buy, and evidence of desperation. He is an ill informed cunt saying that.

[Section_31]

You can't put a price on a big lad at the back who can put the boot in. In fact I can't think of any league winning side that hasn't had one. Leeds had Radebe, Hendry at Blackburn, Arsenal had about 15 of them, mancs had Stam when Pallister got too old, DeSailly and Terry at chelsea. Montero at Juventus. Despite all their buys, it was still Kompany's injuries that used to shit city fans up the most.

 

In fact if this fella settles in quick I'd give him the captaincy. Perfect position for a captain is CB.

[Section_31]

Shearer isn't out of order saying he is overpriced - he is for saying it is a panic buy, and evidence of desperation. He is an ill informed cunt saying that.

It's laughable, panicking about what? We've been after him for ages and are in the league aboot where we'd expect to be.

[Thoth]

Shearer is a complete bellwhiff.. suddenly an expert on player valuations due to his vast experience sat next to Danny fucking Murphy on a Saturday night

[Winston Wolf]

You can't put a price on a big lad at the back who can put the boot in. In fact I can't think of any league winning side that hasn't had one. Leeds had Radebe, Hendry at Blackburn, Arsenal had about 15 of them, mancs had Stam when Pallister got too old, DeSailly and Terry at chelsea. Montero at Juventus. Despite all their buys, it was still Kompany's injuries that used to shit city fans up the most.

 

In fact if this fella settles in quick I'd give him the captaincy. Perfect position for a captain is CB.

I agree, your best two players and captain material should be CH and CM. They see the game in front of them and see how it unfolds and should be good enough to influence it.

If you have Captain material in those two postions, you wont go far wrong.

A big, strong, towering beast at CH and a nasty cunt with game intelligence and an engine at CM in front of the defence makes all the difference.

[Section_31]

Yep, if we get a midfield general now who'll stick the boot in I'll actually wank, I mean properly wank.

[Winston Wolf]

Yep, if we get a midfield general now who'll stick the boot in I'll actually wank, I mean properly wank.

I'd like to see that. I really properly would.

[LF:D]

I like a CM as captain, as they can always be in the refs ear.

 

Keane or Souness being the best and they can influence more.

 

Plus I also think the best captains can inspire others. Hard for a CB to do that. But a CM do to it with a sliding tackle, an assist - like Gerrard would do frequently.

 

Bascially I'm saying I'm hoping Naby Keita is new the leader for this team. He can influence in defence & attack due to his all round game. He's a mood bastard so can be in the refs ear and he takes no shit, as we've seen with some of his cards this season.

 

A CB doesn't need to be a captain to organise, as Carragher showed. But ultimately, we need lots of leaders and characters in the team.

 

Gerrard has loads to help him in Carragher, Kuyt, Alonso, Mascherano, Suarez, Reina - all had leadership qualities.

 

If Van Dijk is another leader and strong character, then it can only help however is the captain going forward. Be it Henderson, Keita or Van Dijk himself.

[Section_31]

Hyypia was our best captain in the modern age IMO. Confident, serene, could see the whole pitch, led by example.

[Jennings]

The skipper should be able to raise the European cup with one hand.