Van Dijk urges patience as Liverpool reshape their defensive line

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says the club’s reworked defence will need time to develop an understanding, even though he believes new arrivals Ronald Araujo and Jeremy Jacquet have the quality to strengthen the side.

Liverpool’s defensive plans have been disrupted by the departures of Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson, while Joe Gomez suffered a muscle injury during the club’s first pre-season match. The changes have left the Merseyside club having to establish a new-look back line ahead of the Premier League campaign.

The club have added Uruguay international Ronald Araujo on a season-long loan from Barcelona. French defender Jeremy Jacquet also joined Liverpool this summer, having been signed in February.

Both players appeared in Liverpool’s 2-0 friendly win against Como at Anfield on Sunday. Jacquet marked the occasion with a goal, while the match provided an early opportunity for the new defensive options to work alongside Van Dijk and their other team-mates.

Van Dijk said regular matches would be central to building the relationships required in defence, with competitive football offering different demands from training.

“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 Liverpool captain was speaking after being asked how he could build effective partnerships with his new defensive colleagues. He acknowledged that communication between the players would be part of that process, although he also suggested that footballers can often recognise defensive situations through their understanding of the game.

Van Dijk described both Araujo and Jacquet as “good players”, but stressed that ability alone would not instantly produce a settled defensive unit. The players will need time on the pitch to develop the coordination and connections expected in a back four.

Liverpool finished fifth last season and will begin their new Premier League campaign away at Newcastle United on 23 August. The opening fixture will provide an early test of how quickly the reshaped defence can come together, although Van Dijk regards the adjustment period as a normal part of preparing a new group.