Garth Crooks’ Team of the Week column for BBC Sport is always worth a read, even if it’s just for the odd mental formation or downright bizarre names he goes with!
One Liverpool player made his team following our 4-1 victory at home to Norwich, and that was our sublime Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk.
The towering centre-back scored a goal with his head, just five days after assisting Joel Matip’s header in the Community Shield – and Crooks reckons his attacking play is getting almost as impressive as his defending!
“Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk is fast becoming as imposing a figure in the opposition penalty area as he is in his own,” he began.
“The beautiful lofted pass for Joel Matip to score in the Community Shield along with his headed goal against Norwich – where not one Canaries player could shift or compete with the presence of this colossus – proves the point.
“Van Dijk was one of the few star performers in an otherwise dull Champions League final and should, in my view, win this year’s Ballon d’Or.
“Not since Fabio Cannavaro lifted the World Cup for Italy has a defender won this illustrious award. It’s time Van Dijk did.”
The only criticism we’ve ever had of van Dijk (if you can call it that) is his lack of goals – but that seems to have changed right now.
Last term, the 27-year-old scored six goals, but we reckon if he remains fit for the year, he could bag nearly double figures in 2019/20.
That would be a crazy return for a defender, but considering van Dijk’s unrivalled aerial ability and how good our crosses are from deep positions – it’s not unrealistic.