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Virgil van Dijk has had a rough start to the season and has been involved in a lot of mistakes lately. The Liverpool star's status as one of the best centre-backs ever in the Premier League is being questioned by fans and pundits alike.
Former Premier League defender Sol Campbell has now chipped in and said that the Dutchman has 'come unstuck'. He added that the comparison with the greats of the game has put Virgil van Dijk under immense pressure and he is not able to cope with it right now. He told The Atheltic:
"I know Virgil van Dijk struggled in the Villa game, but he stands out these days because he's head and shoulders above everyone else, which makes me wonder if that is hampering him at the same time. He's the complete player in that position and has made it look easy, but maybe he's not been challenged enough and then, like a cricketer being done by a slower ball, he's come unstuck. If you've not been worrying about forwards troubling you, sometimes you drop your guard a fraction. It's a natural human thing."
"It would be interesting to see if Virgil van Dijk would have stood out had he been playing in our time when there were lots of great centre-halves: me, John Terry, Tony Adams, Martin Keown, Jamie Carragher, Kolo Toure, Jaap Stam. It'd be interesting to see how he'd fit in with all these guys. And we had Robbie Fowler, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Michael Owen, Alan Shearer, Duncan Ferguson all coming at us. They were quick, strong, tall, skillful...every week you got tested. I reckon Van Dijk would be OK, he'd cope with that, but it would be interesting to watch. He'd certainly be under pressure."
Liverpool started their season with a thrilling 4-3 win over Leeds United, and one of the goals for The Whites came as a direct result of Virgil van Dijk's error. Things became worse for the Reds just ahead of the international break as they were thrashed 7-2 by Aston Villa.
Villa came close to getting relegated last season but have started this campaign with a bang. They are unbeaten right now, and the morale-boosting win over the Premier League champions has just added to their confidence.
Liverpool will have to work hard once again and start from the basics as they got nothing right in their defeat at Villa Park. The Merseyside club play Everton next and Virgil van Dijk will be hoping to find back his form in the important encounter.
