Virgil van Dijk names the Liverpool player who makes Jurgen Klopp tactical change work

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Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has singled out defensive midfielder Fabinho for making Jurgen Klopp’s tactical changes against Genk work so well.

The Reds won 4-1 away from home with a more attack-minded midfield as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita both started in place of Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum.

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Liverpool normally prioritise attacking down the flanks, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson given plenty of license to roam forward, playing more like wing-backs than full-backs.

This requires a defensive-minded midfield, however, but Van Dijk believes the more attacking set-up used last night can also work due to the quality of Fabinho.

LFC signed Fabinho last summer and it took him some time to settle, though he is now a hugely important part of this side due to his great positioning and work rate in protecting Van Dijk and the team’s other defenders.

Fabinho has become hugely important for Liverpool

It’s little surprise that the Dutchman singled him out as helping the team click, saying, as quoted by the Daily Mirror: “I don’t think so (that the tactics made it more difficult). We still had Fabinho in front of us who cleans up everything.

“They left one or two strikers up front and we tried to get involved. That’s the way we play.

“We just have to do better at winning the second balls and in the transition with the counter-press.”

More Stories Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Fabinho Jurgen Klopp Naby Keita Virgil van Dijk