Virgil van Dijk agrees with Arne Slot about 'surprising' thing people are now saying about Liverpool

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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has echoed manager Arne Slot in highlighting a surprising new narrative emerging around the club: that many observers are now speaking of Liverpool as a more pragmatic, defensively solid side rather than the whirlwind attacking force of recent years. Both men find this shift in perception striking, given how firmly Liverpool’s identity under Jürgen Klopp had been associated with relentless pressing and high-tempo, front-foot football.

Slot has recently commented that opponents and pundits are beginning to talk about Liverpool’s organisation, structure and control as standout qualities, suggesting that the team is earning respect for its composure and tactical maturity as much as its attacking flair. Van Dijk, long a central figure in the club’s defence, agrees with this assessment and notes that such external recognition reflects deliberate work on the training ground to make Liverpool harder to break down while still maintaining enough threat going forward.

The article explains that this evolution is not about abandoning attacking principles but about adding layers: more focus on compactness between the lines, better game management, and a clearer balance between risk and security in possession. Slot’s influence is presented as crucial in this transition, with an emphasis on positional play, pressing triggers, and collective responsibility without the ball.

Van Dijk is said to welcome the notion that teams now fear Liverpool’s defensive resilience as much as their attack, seeing it as a sign of a more complete side. He also stresses that the players are buying into Slot’s ideas, accepting that modern success requires adaptability rather than a rigid attachment to any single style. Ultimately, the “surprising” thing people are now saying about Liverpool – that they are controlled, stable and tactically astute – is framed as a compliment that both captain and manager are happy to embrace as the club targets sustained success in a new era.