Liverpool learnt little about long-term transfer target Virgil van Dijk in routine win... Southampton conceded three but defender wasn't to blame for goals
- Liverpool made it three wins on the bounce after beating Southampton
- Virgil van Dijk, a long-term target of Jurgen Klopp, started for away side
- Despite conceding three goals, the Holland defender wasn't to blame
- Van Dijk did get forward, and won a free kick on the edge of the box
If the evidence that Southampton allegedly had is to be believed, Liverpool had already done the hard work in convincing Virgil van Dijk to move north during a wooing process that included a conversation in Blackpool.
When you need a tower, it would make sense to head to the Fylde coast.
As things transpired, the move fell down amid claims of tapping up, and here was the big Dutchman, as expected at Anfield, but in the referee-esque turquoise and black of Southampton.
Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk cuts a dejected figure during 3-0 defeat by Liverpool
Van Dijk, who was strongly linked with move to Liverpool in the summer, shows his frustration
While the visiting Saints were scoreless, it is safe to say that Liverpool's need for a strong centre-half — not to mention a goalkeeper — remains.
There were, on a routine afternoon, a couple of nervy moments that did not need to exist against a limited opponent.
It would appear that the door at St Mary's, from a club you could regard as Liverpool's feeder, is ajar.
Going into this one, the Saints had managed to squeeze in three goals at Anfield since 2004 and all three scorers, Sadio Mane, Dejan Lovren and Nathaniel Clyne, now play for the home side.
In the build-up, manager Mauricio Pellegrino was predictably asked whether Van Dijk would still be on the south coast when the January window shuts.
'I don't know,' he responded. 'I can't control the market. You never know, because when we talk about money everybody has got a price. The budget is to sign players and the biggest teams have got money to try to sign players.'
Liverpool would have learnt little about the defender, with his Saints side struggling at Anfield
Mo Salah curled a sublime effort into the top corner from long distance to open the scoring
He may have well as said 'fire up the jet engines and tell the pilot to take him to Blackpool'.
Did we learn anything here, in what may have been a dress rehearsal? Not really. Southampton's decision to part with Claude Puel continues to seem a strange one and they were on the back foot here from the start.
Van Dijk had little to do with Mohamed Salah's first-half brace. For the first, blame could be apportioned to Dusan Tadic, who was needlessly dispossessed on the edge of his own box before the Egyptian curled in a beauty.
For the second, Wesley Hoedt performed the role of the invisible player admirably as Salah ghosted past him to make it 2-0.
Salah latches onto Philippe Coutinho's pass to tuck the ball past Fraser Forster to double tally
Van Dijk did get forward, and won a free kick on the edge of the box from which Ryan Betrand went close.
Lovren was yellow carded for the foul and the resulting Kop boos were for referee Mike Jones, but you had to wonder whether they may have been aimed at Lovren for injuring their target.
Following the break, Lovren did earn himself a rollicking, from Simon Mignolet, when a Southampton throw-in somehow created a chance for a response.
Admittedly, Liverpool's central defensive cause was not helped by the loss, through injury, of Joel Matip.
Coutinho seals win for Liverpool by smashing home a rebound from Roberto Firmino's shot
Here Ragnar Klavan stepped up. Last month, the 32-year-old Estonian turned up for training with the bumper hanging off his Mercedes. on Saturday, he was in a defence in which you imagine the wheels falling off are never far away.
Questions have also been asked over Mignolet. Should Klopp come calling, Van Dijk can tell him that he is used to playing in front of an inconsistent keeper.
For the third, Fraser Forster decided not to bother using his hands, curiously chesting Roberto Firmino's shot into the path of Philippe Coutinho.
Yet another tick in the box.
Jurgen Klopp is expected to go back in for Van Dijk in January after failing to sign him this year
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