Liverpool defenders need time ‘to form a connection’, says Van Dijk

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Virgil van Dijk insisted Liverpool’s defenders need time “to form a connection together” following their new signings.

Jeremy Jacquet and Ronaldo Araujo were both added to the Reds’ backline this summer, with the latter joining on loan, and made their debuts in a pre-season win over Como on Sunday.

Andoni Iraola’s side won 2-0 at Anfield, with Cody Gakpo scoring the opener before turning provider for Jeremy Jacquet on the stroke of half-time.

Jacquet also won the most tackles (three) and joint-most duels (seven) before being replaced at half-time by Araujo.

The Uruguayan also impressed on his home debut, winning five of his seven duels and the second-most tackles (two).

Despite the strong performances from Liverpool’s newest additions, Van Dijk believes they must be patient in learning each other’s game.

“I think [Jacquet] did well, same as Ronald,” Van Dijk said after the win.

Every Jacquet touch from his first Anfield outing  pic.twitter.com/rKAWDL3gcM

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 16, 2026

“It’s a start, a good start so hopefully he can crack on. [You build relationships] by playing games. I won’t say it’s the only way, but games are totally different than training.

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

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

“Like I said, I think [Jacquet] did well. I think he came out of it a bit tired, but it’s absolutely normal when you’re playing your first 45 minutes after such a long time. Now it’s down to him to recover.

“We’ll be back on the pitch tomorrow morning and then we’re working towards Newcastle. St. James’ Park will always be a tough one.”

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