Liverpool’s Van Dijk says Reds’ rebuilt defence needs time to gel

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says the club’s reshaped defence will need time to develop an understanding, despite his confidence in new arrivals Ronald Araujo and Jeremy Jacquet.

The Reds have had to make significant changes at the back after the departures of Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson, while Joe Gomez suffered a muscle injury during Liverpool’s opening pre-season match.

Liverpool responded by bringing in Uruguay international Ronald Araujo on a season-long loan from Barcelona. French defender Jeremy Jacquet also joined during the summer after being signed in February.

Both players appeared in Liverpool’s 2-0 friendly win over Como at Anfield on Sunday, with Jacquet marking the occasion by scoring one of the goals.

Van Dijk, who remains Liverpool’s captain and an experienced presence in defence, said regular competitive matches would be central to developing partnerships with the club’s new players.

“By playing games. I won’t say it’s the only way, but games are totally different than training.

“Obviously, Jeremy’s English is, I would say, a bit better than Ronald, but at the end of the day, we all pretty good footballers and we can see and smell some moments, how to defend certain situations.

“It’s pretty clear that you need to form a connection together and take a bit of time. But it’s, in my opinion, absolutely normal. But hopefully, we can get that going as quickly as possible.”

The Dutch defender was asked how he could build an effective partnership with teammates who are still adapting to Liverpool’s defensive structure and the demands of English football.

Although he highlighted the importance of communication, Van Dijk also suggested that footballers can often recognise defensive situations instinctively, even when they are still becoming familiar with one another.

Araujo and Jacquet’s appearances against Como provided an early opportunity for the pair to work alongside Liverpool’s established players. However, Van Dijk acknowledged that training alone cannot fully replicate the pressure and unpredictability of matches.

Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League last season and will begin their new league campaign away from home against Newcastle United on 23 August.

The club’s defensive rebuild will therefore be tested early in the season, with Van Dijk hoping the new-look backline can establish its understanding as quickly as possible before the opening league fixture.