26-08-2015, 13:49
Was good watching the best defender in Europe looking shte again though.
Celtic's initial Euro progress goes smoothly!
Removing van Dijk from the context of Scottish football, he's proven nothing.
Celtic have shipped 44 goals in Europe since signing him. In his first season they kept 5 clean sheets in Europe and he played a total of 1 minute in those. His first European game was the 2-0 defeat to Karagandy, and he played 90 minutes of their biggest defeats, 0-3 against Milan and 6-1 in Barcelona.
He did slightly better in his second season, keeping 2 clean sheets against the mighty KR Reykjavik, but the team went on to concede 23 in the rest of their European matches that season, although he missed the last of those having been sent off against Inter.
This season he missed the 2-0 win against Stjarnan but helped his side keep 2 clean sheets against Qarabag. That's as good as it got, with 4 goals lost to Malmo, and van Dijk beaten all ends up by the Swedish side's attackers.
Overrated as I thought they were, the likes of Wanyama, Forster and even Hooper actually looked decent in Europe and made a mark there. There was at least a reason for the hype around them. To me it seems like van Dijk has been given undue credit on the back of that, with an assumption that because he looks good in Scottish football and has featured in Europe, he can be held up as a top European player. Southampton fans will be a bit wary given that they're still split over whether Wanyama and Forster were any better than what they had already, and Hooper has been a failure at Norwich. Van Dijk has looked distinctly average against distinctly average players at distinctly average European teams. Even Celtic fans will tell you Denayer was the key player in their defence last season. He's still young and a team like Southampton will see potential to develop him into a genuinely good player, but right now he's nothing like as good as the Scottish press like to make out, and their shock that he wasn't in last summer's Dutch world cup team seems pretty laughable.
Celtic have shipped 44 goals in Europe since signing him. In his first season they kept 5 clean sheets in Europe and he played a total of 1 minute in those. His first European game was the 2-0 defeat to Karagandy, and he played 90 minutes of their biggest defeats, 0-3 against Milan and 6-1 in Barcelona.
He did slightly better in his second season, keeping 2 clean sheets against the mighty KR Reykjavik, but the team went on to concede 23 in the rest of their European matches that season, although he missed the last of those having been sent off against Inter.
This season he missed the 2-0 win against Stjarnan but helped his side keep 2 clean sheets against Qarabag. That's as good as it got, with 4 goals lost to Malmo, and van Dijk beaten all ends up by the Swedish side's attackers.
Overrated as I thought they were, the likes of Wanyama, Forster and even Hooper actually looked decent in Europe and made a mark there. There was at least a reason for the hype around them. To me it seems like van Dijk has been given undue credit on the back of that, with an assumption that because he looks good in Scottish football and has featured in Europe, he can be held up as a top European player. Southampton fans will be a bit wary given that they're still split over whether Wanyama and Forster were any better than what they had already, and Hooper has been a failure at Norwich. Van Dijk has looked distinctly average against distinctly average players at distinctly average European teams. Even Celtic fans will tell you Denayer was the key player in their defence last season. He's still young and a team like Southampton will see potential to develop him into a genuinely good player, but right now he's nothing like as good as the Scottish press like to make out, and their shock that he wasn't in last summer's Dutch world cup team seems pretty laughable.
26-08-2015, 17:15
I canny wait til he goes to the premiership and gets tortured every week,£10m feck me big windows at Southampton.
26-08-2015, 17:21
It's a bit unfair to lay it all at his door though is it not ? He cannae be responsible for every goal they have lost in europe. Every season he has had to play with different partnerships, last night it was a teenager,a guy who's barely played in 2 years and charlie mulgrew (who is getting slower by the week)
From what i've saw of him he looks a good enough defender, decent in the air and skillful with the ball at his feet. But perhaps not the bravest. No way is he worth the kind of money being talked about in the rags though.
From what i've saw of him he looks a good enough defender, decent in the air and skillful with the ball at his feet. But perhaps not the bravest. No way is he worth the kind of money being talked about in the rags though.
26-08-2015, 17:40
I'm no blaming him I just don't think he's that good and I reckon he'll be found out down south.
I don't think all the goals are his fault, it's just that Celtic's defence has been porous in Europe since he's been in the side. He hasn't been some sort of rock holding Europe's finest at bay and stemming the tide. The way he was bullied around by Malmo was pretty typical of how it's gone for him rather than an exception. His reputation in Scottish football is symptomatic of both how poor our clubs are compared to most European leagues, and also how exaggerated the reputations of some players become in the light of press figures gushing over them.
And the next players in line for the position for Celtic are Ambrose and Boyata. If Celtic sell van Dijk I'm sure even our Premiership clubs will be licking their lips at the thought of having a go at that defensive partnership.
And the next players in line for the position for Celtic are Ambrose and Boyata. If Celtic sell van Dijk I'm sure even our Premiership clubs will be licking their lips at the thought of having a go at that defensive partnership.
26-08-2015, 17:52
Bang on El Car,no often i'll agree wi ye but no argument.
(26-08-2015, 17:50)El Car Wrote: I don't think all the goals are his fault, it's just that Celtic's defence has been porous in Europe since he's been in the side. He hasn't been some sort of rock holding Europe's finest at bay and stemming the tide. The way he was bullied around by Malmo was pretty typical of how it's gone for him rather than an exception. His reputation in Scottish football is symptomatic of both how poor our clubs are compared to most European leagues, and also how exaggerated the reputations of some players become in the light of press figures gushing over them.
And the next players in line for the position for Celtic are Ambrose and Boyata. If Celtic sell van Dijk I'm sure even our Premiership clubs will be licking their lips at the thought of having a go at that defensive partnership.
Celtic will bring in another decent defender if VVD leaves Celtic - likely to be a Bruges
defender (can't remember his name offhand) but the guy had a very good performance v Man Utd at OT until he was red-carded for a second bookable offence. IMO VVD has strolled through Scottish football matches TBF and is certainly of a higher standard than anything on offer in Scotland. However, it's noticeable that he has not touching Dutch international status and for good reason - still not good enough!
26-08-2015, 19:20
He is in the Dutch squad now I'm sure I read.
For me the epl is full of overrated players with high price tags anyway,(40 mill for stones!!) . I think as overrated as he is van dijk has enough about his game to do ok down there.
For me the epl is full of overrated players with high price tags anyway,(40 mill for stones!!) . I think as overrated as he is van dijk has enough about his game to do ok down there.
26-08-2015, 20:28
He's in their provisional pool that they'll select the final squad from, though he's been there before and not made the cut. With Vlaar still looking for a new club he might get in this time - funny thing is he'd be one of the older defenders in the squad rather than a young guy being introduced for experience.
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