We all say it, don’t we? Virgil van Dijk is “great in the air”. And in the narrow sense of the duel, he often is. He gets there, he makes contact, he “wins” it. But the uncomfortable bit is what happens next.

Because winning the first header only matters if it actually solves the problem. A proper clearing header. A decisive one that takes the box out of play. Or at least a controlled contact that drops to a red shirt, not straight onto an opposition boot on the edge of the area.

There’s a difference between contact and control

The frustration here is simple: too many aerial “wins” feel like they keep the danger alive. A glancing touch into a crowded zone. One that balloons straight up and turns the next phase into a scramble. Or a header that just lands nicely for the opposition to recycle and go again while we’re still resetting our line.

It shows up at both ends. From attacking corners, Virgil often gets free headers, but it rarely looks like a clean, directed effort. You can be a massive presence and still not be efficient. The one at the weekend, even in the moment of celebration, didn’t exactly scream ‘textbook’. It’s another reminder that “good in the air” isn’t one single skill, it’s a few.

Set pieces punish hesitation more than open play

Set pieces are brutal because there’s no hiding. Everyone’s set. The ball goes in, you either dominate your box or you don’t. If the centre-backs win the first ball but don’t clear it properly, then everyone behind them is reacting, not controlling. That’s when it turns into panic defending, second balls, ricochets, and the sort of goals that leave you fuming because they were avoidable.

And it’s not just Virgil. Konate gets painted with the same brush for me: lots of aerial success on paper, not enough moments where you think, “right, danger gone.” Liverpool can’t keep living on last-ditch blocks and desperate swipes after the first contact.

Captaincy is also about the response

What really sticks in the throat is the body language when it goes wrong. On Saturday, the nonchalance in the lead-up to the first goal felt like it set the tone: a lazy action, no proper recovery, and then arms out as if it’s everyone else’s problem. That’s not the standard you expect from the captain.

Mistakes happen. Even to the best. But the reaction has to be immediate, angry in the right way, and focused on fixing it. If Liverpool want to tighten up on set pieces, it starts with centre-backs treating every first ball like it’s the last one they’ll get.

Written by ShipleyKopite: 26 January 2026

Tags: efl