Dutch journo calls for Virgil van Dijk to be dropped for Netherlands vs England

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk will lead the Netherlands out for their UEFA Euro 2024 semifinal against England on Wednesday night at Signal Iduna Park. The veteran centre-back is enjoying a memorable campaign in his first-ever appearance in the competition but not everyone is convinced by his performances.

Arguably the best defender in world football over the last few years, Van Dijk is nigh on undroppable at Liverpool. The same can’t be said of his stint in Orange with several detractors unconvinced by his leadership and ability.

The Dutch have done little justice to the vast array of talent at their disposal in the tournament. They fell to Austria in the Group Stage and only scraped past Turkiye in the quarter-finals thanks to an own goal. Van Dijk struggled to keep the Turkish attackers at bay and had a rather torrid time alongside his Dutch comrades.

On FC Update, Dutch journalist Henk Spaan has joined the ranks of Van Dijk’s detractors and believes the 33-year-old is not the leader of the Oranje defence as it is made out to be. Spaan goes on to state that it is in fact Stefan De Vrij who stands out in the Netherlands’ backline.

“I actually think that Stefan de Vrij is now the leader of the defence.”

Spaan went on to compare Van Dijk to his Dutch teammate, Memphis Depay. The attacker has loads of talent but struggles to make the most of it in a consistent manner. While we can understand that fans will expect more out of a Rolls Royce player such as Van Dijk, the criticism borders on a witchhunt at times.

“Van Dijk, it’s the same as with Memphis… You can see that there is skill, but it is so changeable and erratic.”

Spaan was backed by another Dutch journo, Hugo Borst who believes the Liverpool star should be dropped in favour of Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Micky can de Ven. The 23-year-old is certainly talented but experience is what counts when it comes to the business end of the competition and Van Dijk has been there and done that numerous times with Liverpool.

“If you are very honest, he should just be taken out anyway.”

There clearly is an agenda against Van Dijk when the whole of the Dutch squad needs to be under the scanner. While their performances will have suffered thanks to the absences of Frenkie De Jong and Teun Koopmeiners, placing it solely on Van Dijk is in poor taste. It is fair to say that the Liverpool skipper did not need to hear this on his 33rd birthday.

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The players on the field are tasked to carry out the vision set by their managers and in Ronald Koeman, Van Dijk is largely stuck with a conservative coach. A progressive tactician such as Jurgen Klopp was able to harness the strengths of the imperious centre-back at Liverpool to great effect. If anything, these journalists should be questioning the lack of tactical acumen from the strategists who still seem to be living in the dark ages.

Wherever the Dutch eventually end up in the competition, their skipper is expected to return to Anfield and play a key part in Arne Slot’s debut campaign in red. A triumphant campaign should ensure that the hypocrisy of journalists is brought to the fore.