Liverpool have a leader waiting to shine.
Before Liverpool became one of the best football teams in all of European and world football, they were a team with endless vulnerabilities and loopholes both on and off the pitch. The club was on the brink of administration and required an entire rebuild of the squad.
The club’s owners FSG orchestrated one of the finest turnarounds in all of sports history. The rebuild began with the messianic arrival of new head coach Jurgen Klopp. From here on, FSG didn’t look back and backed coach Klopp’s calls in the transfer market through and through.
Through the years, Klopp’s signings such as Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Allison Becker, Fabinho, Virgil Van Dijk, and many others transformed into world-class players. Under the tutelage of the manager, the players raised the bar and fulfilled their potential making the team possess the best players in their respective positions.
They have forged and are still forging a dynasty- triumphing in Europe, the world, and even presently on domestic turf.
Klopp built the team to play football with efficiency, aggression, and united intensity. In better words, the team was so well composed that each player knew exactly what each other are doing on a football pitch, both on the ball and off the ball – a hive mind combined style of football.
Through all of Klopp’s game-changing signings, one stands out: Virgil Van Dijk.
From the Netherlands, the Dutchman is widely considered as the best defender in Europe. With his lion-like instinct in defense, he helped goalkeeper Alisson and Liverpool register a record of 21 clean sheets in the 2018-2019 season, a year in which the team won the UEFA champions league.
A year later, his sense of calmness in defense also helped the club register 13 clean sheets in the 2019-2020 season, the year in which the team won the Club World Cup, Super Cup, and their first league title in 30 years.
His arrival in 2018 changed a panicked defense once known for conceding goals into one of the calmest defenses now recognized for keeping some of the greatest attacking teams quiet in the final third.
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However, this season, Liverpool’s defense have been slammed into a catastrophic situation. The Dutch colossus has been injured after a clash with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and is out for the rest of the season.
With the spirit of his calmness, leadership, and discipline sidelined for the rest of the season, the club is in desperate need of a new defensive leader and game-changer.
In years prior to this season, Virgil Van Dijk’s game was the one which oozed world-class consistency, and the others have played a supporting role to his eminence with inconsistent run-ins with injuries.
Defenders such as Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, and Fabinho, who played around Virgil Van Dijk and even youngsters such as Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams, all have the potential of replacing the Dutch giant.
Gomez, an English international at just the tender age of 23, is well-positioned to possess and acquire the skill and consistent discipline he experienced while playing alongside Van Dijk in defense.
Consequently, according to Liverpool.com, Joe Gomez is also excellent at adapting to situations. In a recent game against Sheffield United, as the game progressed and reached the last half an hour, he adjusted perfectly to the opponent’s game-style. His stats were near- perfect with a 94% pass accuracy; 12/12 accurate long passes; 5/7 ground duels won; 6/13 aerial duels won; 8 clearances; 2 interceptions.
The best defenders in the world are those who efficiently adapt to situations depending on the positioning and issues faced against the opposing team. Joe Gomez is currently comprehending the practice of adjustment like a prodigy in defense.
The Englishman’s evolution at this stage of his Liverpool career is crucial for his prospects in not just becoming Liverpool’s defensive game-changer but also in becoming one of the best center-backs across Europe. With the right personal and professional development with the club’s coaching and mentoring staff, Joe can become the new leader of the defense.
The difference between a world-class player and a player with potential lies in the player’s ability to deliver the goods with flawless consistency on a consistent basis. Gomez has proved to be of a type that can step up with consistency.
With the stats he poses and the potential he can unlock, there is the belief, in fact, not just belief but expectation that he can consistently step up on a consistent basis for Liverpool and be the defensive leader the club so desperately require this season.