SAY what you like about Rio Ferdinand, his links across the M62 and that gut wrenching, injury-time winner against Liverpool at Old Trafford in 2006 (of which I still hold Djibril Cisse more to account then anybody else), but I thought he was a fine centre-back.
Elegant, imposing, calm and assured, he was a core fundamental aspect of the halcyon 2008 Manchester United despotism under Alex Ferguson. Yet the thing that impressed me most about Ferdinand was his strength of character. A twice world-record transfer fee breaking defender who, annoyingly, never seemed to carry any burden of it around with him on the football pitch.
Some 15 years later, the world-record transfer fee for a defender has been shattered again, this very evening — in the midst of that purgatorial vacuum between Christmas and New Year when nobody knows what day it is — by Liverpool Football Club on Virgil van Dijk.
This has unfolded at such a pace that it feels we’re all digging out a cabinet full of emotions we locked away and thought we’d never reconnect with again, such was the furore around the summer move which didn’t materialise. Yet, the club have managed to negotiate this entangled deal covertly and with enough tact to get it over the line in a timely enough manner which enables us all to find another cause to reach for the ale you swore you were done with when you woke up this morning.
Attention has now already turned to the fee, with some Liverpool fans baffled by such a show of intent from owners that people have already made up their mind on, to fans of other club’s sniggering uncomfortably at the price tag for some kind of self-indulgent moral victory in the hope Liverpool have been ripped off.
For all you think or don’t about the fee, it is something that requires only one thing from the player himself; that he carries it.
That alone may feel big and fundamental to everything but it isn’t. Sometimes, just the notion of a £75million player is enough for it to reverberate positively in other ways.
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TAW Special: Virgil van Dijk Deal Reaction@Knox_Harrington @Simon_Hughes__ @PaulSenior1 https://t.co/djMH8Xowkq— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) 27 December 2017
Suddenly, Liverpool’s 10 players stood in the tunnel are puffing out their chests a few inches more because they have a record-breaking defender. Suddenly, opposition forwards are finding themselves with less belief and fillips of hope when lining up against a mass of misconceptions around a Liverpool defence. Suddenly, Anfield as a collective is a little less anxious every time there is a dead-ball situation within a yard of our own half and the ball looks like it might enter the box.
Don’t take for granted just how much this is what we want and have wanted for such a long time. For Liverpool to emerge top of the food chain, to show guts and determination to players who need to be sold a vision for success. If van Dijk, can harness and embrace the reputation bestowed on him as the best defender that money can buy, then the benefits across the scale to this Liverpool team are boundless.
Make no mistake; this is a mettlesome piece of business by Liverpool Football Club for a player that they believe, in time, and time is important to this, will be a key part to achieving what we all collectively desire. They haven’t panicked, been discouraged or loathing in any way. Instead this has been resilient, calculated and ambitious.
I watched the player closely enough at Anfield in The Reds’ 3-0 victory this season to know what he can bring under the right circumstances. I thought he was quietly very good at doing everything on the pitch the opposition right sided centre-back should’ve been doing, yet was being failed miserably by his teammates and management.
I looked at him that day and seen a serious footballer. One who in the right side, with the right surroundings, could potentially be an absolute colossus. That opportunity has now arisen for the player and club alike.
These are incredibly exciting times to be a Liverpool supporter. This is piece by electrifying piece, and by god all the pieces matter.
Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true. Baby then there wouldn’t be a single thing we couldn’t do. Up big Virgil’s swaggeringly ballsy Reds. To drink.
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Love this Dan. Remember taking the piss about the Ferdinand fee then watching him win trophy after trophy – let’s hope history repeats itself
If you adjust Ferdinand’s fee for 2017 inflation, it translates to a present day fee of £136 million. Funny to see people sniggering at £75 million for Van Dijk.
Fans not accountants
Fee reflects the market and potential hi jack by the Arab State Sponsored Man City. It’s like buying a house if you really want it and consider it a good long term investment you put your money down.
It also reflects current prices ….koulibaly and the lad at Bilbao both have around 60m buyouts. Stone, at 21, was 50m. Jonny Evans was quoted around the 30m mark. Luiz moved 3 seasons ago for 50m.
Seeing as Van Dijk is the perfect age and experience, plus the little issue we had, 70m plus some addons is probably about right.
Spot on.
There’s nothing more dull than listening to pundits talk about the fee like they are a senior accountant in a massive corporation. They should be talking about what he’ll bring to us, if they have the insight for this kind of thing. After all, they are the same ones relentlessly telling us how bad we are at the back.
A player’s worth is determined ENTIRELY by his value to the buying club. It’s pretty much universally accepted that we need a centre-back with his exact skill-set and have done for years.
I’m delighted with this. I love the way it came out of nowhere. One minute we’ve got Joyce telling us van Dijk still wants the move, then we’ve agreed a fee and then he’s had a medical and has been officially announced holding a Liverpool shirt in front of a fucking Christmas tree. It was glorious, clandestine stuff and what transfers are about. The way in which this club used to operate.
The fee just makes it better. He’s massive character, van Dijk. He won’t mind.
100% The Ferdinand comparison is right on the money.
I really enjoy Danny Morgan’s articles but, by God, they need a wee bit more proof-reading.
Sound point about Ferdinand though, one of the rare defenders who would proactively dominate a centre-forward rather than react to what they threw at him. Here’s hoping VVD can prove the same sort of value!
It’s always a bit more satisfying when a deal you’d been hoping for comes out of the blue like this one. Completely different era but it reminds me of when we brought Kenny in (or maybe the day we brought Rushie back).
The fee is obscene in anyone’s language and a bit hard to square if you think about how much good you could do with that kind of money. But we sold our souls a long time ago and he could help to bring a lot of joy into a lot of hearts in the next few years.
Fees have been obscene only due to the exponential rate of their increase and are just a by product of the revenue increases in recent times. We have signed one of (if not the) most sought after CBs in europe in a position which is clearly our weak point. With Keita to follow in an area almost as vital in my (limited) opinion we suddenly look like a proper team. A GK would be nice now.
No doubt the FSG boo boys will be out in force talking about wasted money. Probably the same people who slated them for not getting the deal done in the summer.
I still think we need a top quality DM to really put the pressure on the title. I agree your point about FSG, but it will only shut the haters up until the summer, assuming Cout stays until then.
What this deal does show is that the club is serious again and Klopp is being backed to the hilt.
I’m still not over Trent’s goal from yesterday it might take a few days more to process the emotions for this one.
Announcement perfectly coinciding with Mou’s moaning about the defence. Hope it forces ManU into buying some overpriced shite just to “stay on par”.
(And no, they don’t need a goalie. Karius is one of the best prospects out there.)
Enjoyed this
A certain Mr Peter Robinson would be proud of the way this deal was conducted.
Now give Karius an extended run and we can decide if we need just one or two keepers for next year.
For months we’ve had fans moaning about not buying a centreback.
For even longer we’ve had fans moaning about FSG not splashing the cash and not showing ambition.
Now, the morning after we spend a world record fee on a quality centreback what do we see everywhere, yup that’s right, fans moaning.
I genuinely believe some fans are only happy when they have something to moan about.
Totally agree
FSG showing up. Great ownership
Why are we connecting our future to someone like Ferdinand? Ferdinand did not win anything to Man UTD, but rather Man UTD made him an enforcer for their winning ways.
VVD will never bring anything to Liverpool but raising the bar higher for success and distant their fans from them. Time will show you that this propaganda to support this bad purchase is nothing but sales pitch
Artificial intelligence still has a ways to go it seems