With the acquisition of Dutch U-21 midfielder Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich during this summer’s transfer window, Liverpool now has three Dutch players in its ranks. Technically, this includes Sepp van den Berg, but we’ll leave that alone for now.
As for the former Ajax midfielder, he is only playing in the Europa League, but he still needs to get used to Klopp’s soccer and it will take time for him to grab a regular position.
On the other hand, seniors Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo are fully integrated into the team.
Although Van Dijk is 32 years old and past his prime, he still leads the team as a defensive leader and as the new captain. Gakpo, with his dexterity, is a mainstay of the team, playing not only center forward but also in midfield and on the wing.
The former was seriously injured a few years ago and his defensive response in 1v1 matches, where he was unmatched in strength, was not as good as it used to be.
The latter is also injured now and is in good condition for his return. Former Dutch midfielder Bolo Zenden, who also used to play for Liverpool, is confident that they will regain their top form.
“The expectations about Van Dijk are based on what he has shown at Liverpool in the past,”
“But what we should not forget is that he had a long injury. I can say from experience that you need time after that to get back to your level. He also suffered a second injury after his first one. You can’t separate that. He will need some time to get back to his old self.”
“The same might go for Cody Gakpo, who is injured now and won’t be able to play for a few weeks. I hope when he returns he will quickly pick up his good form from last season.”
Soccernews.nl