Virgil van Dijk is one of the best central defenders the Premier League has ever seen. But perhaps in only praising him and not addressing his shortcomings in the more traditional, even basic, elements of defending, we have been contributing to the slow death of the old-school centre half.
There is an obsession with ball-playing centre backs today and Van Dijk is one of the very best in that sense, but we cannot lose sight of the fundamentals of defending.
Van Dijk carries this calm aura, built up over a number of successful seasons in a Liverpool shirt.