'Virgil Van Dijk Vs Nemanja Vidic Debate Continues After Compilation Video Emerges

By Mike Parrott

Liverpool and Manchester United fans have constantly debated the argument of who was better between Virgil Van Dijk and Nemanja Vidic. A new video has on YouTube has increased the debate with the Serbian looking to have comfortably won it.

The best Centre-Back in Premier League history has been a hot topic for many Premier League fans for decades. Players such as Steve Bruce, John Terry, Tony Adams, Jaap Stam, RIo Ferdinand, Vincent Kompany, Virgil Van Dijk, and Nemanja Vidic have always been the ever-present players in the debate.

However, with Liverpool's recent improvement in the League and Europe, Van Dijk has been the name on the lips of many pundits and fans alike.

Jamie Redknapp on Virgil van Dijk:

🗣: “He’s the best for me, the best defender I’ve seen in the Premier League era.”

Do you agree? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/5scKkPalTc

— Details On Football (@theDOFootball) April 1, 2020

Even though the Liverpool defender has been the best defender in the Premier League for a while now, looking from a sheer statistical view, He isn't near players such as Vidic, Kompany, and a few more.

A video has emerged on YouTube made by a user named Teo CRi, compiling from highlights that Vidic was on another level to Van Dijk.

Many fans would agree that Van Dijk's best statistical season was the 2018/19 Season when Liverpool finished behind Manchester City in the Premier League, and won the UEFA Champions League. But if you compare his stats to Vidic from 2008/09 when Manchester United won the Premier League and narrowly lost to Barcelona in the Champions League Final, there's simply no debate.

This photo is interesting.

No bias included, who are you picking out the two and why? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/fvwyxoFzXN

— EPL Bible (@EPLBible) March 31, 2020

Van Dijk's stats were the best for a defender in the Premier League in 2018/19, but Vidic's were on a whole other level in 2008/09. The Serbian nearly had double the amount of tackles, interceptions, and clearances, as well as conceding less goals and having more clean sheets.

Even if you compare Van Dijk's 18/19 Season to players such as Manchester City's Vincent Kompany, it again shows that his PFA Player of the Year Season might have been influenced by the media and pundits alike.

Van Dijk (18/19)

1️⃣8️⃣ Clean sheets
1️⃣7️⃣ Blocks
3️⃣9️⃣ Interceptions
3️⃣4️⃣ Tackles
1️⃣8️⃣3️⃣ Clearances

Kompany (10/11)

1️⃣9️⃣ Clean sheets
3️⃣2️⃣ Blocks
8️⃣7️⃣ Interceptions
1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ Tackles
3️⃣3️⃣6️⃣ Clearances @VincentKompany was not nominated for the POTY in 2011... pic.twitter.com/rdzqEIJRAX

— FansBet (@FansBet) May 2, 2019

The stats here are a bit closer than compared to Vidic's monstrous 08/09 Season, but Kompany is still the leader in every defensive-oriented statistic while also like Vidic, won the Premier League.

There is a debate that can easily be said that stats don't mean everything and a player's influence and intangibles don't show up on paper. However, from a sheer statistical standpoint, Van Dijk in his peak Season wasn't on the same level as Vidic and Kompany.

If anything, that 2018/19 Season showed how underrated players such as Fabinho and Alisson were to Liverpool and how they kept the most Clean Sheets in the Season.

As the YouTube video says, Virgil Van Dijk is good...but Nemaja Vidic was a beast.

source https://www.sportbible.com/football/football-virgil-van-dijk-vs-nemanja-vidic-debate-continues-after-video-emerges-20200404