Virgil's Honest Verdict: Liverpool's New CB Duo Has Flashes, but the Bond Needs Time

Liverpool's defensive general isn't getting carried away just yet. Virgil van Dijk watched new-look center-back partners Jérémy Jacquet and Ronald Araújo ease through their first auditions in a 2-0 preseason win over Como — and while he liked what he saw, he's not about to declare the partnership Premier League-ready.

Jacquet makes a statement

Jacquet, making his first appearance since a dislocated shoulder in February, marked his return with a goal and a solid 45-minute shift. Araújo, newly arrived on a season-long loan from Barcelona, took over for the second half. Not a bad opening act.

“I think [Jacquet] did well, same as Ronald,” Van Dijk said after the match. “It's a start, a good start so hopefully he can crack on.”

Chemistry can't be rushed

But if you're expecting an instant lockdown alliance at the back, slow your roll. Van Dijk knows defensive telepathy isn't built in a couple of training sessions.

“You build relationships by playing games. I won't say it's the only way, but games are totally different than training,” the skipper explained.

Sure, both new signings speak the universal language of defending. “We are all pretty good footballers. We can see and smell some moments on how to defend certain situations,” Van Dijk added. But communication? That's still a work in progress — especially with Araújo.

“Jeremy's English is, I would say, a bit better than Ronald's,” Van Dijk admitted. “But it's pretty clear that you need to form a connection together and that takes a bit of time. In my opinion that's absolutely normal but hopefully we can get that going as quickly as possible.”

Still building toward Newcastle

Jacquet may have faded late in his comeback minutes, but Van Dijk isn't worried. “He came out of it a bit tired, but it's absolutely normal when you're playing your first 45 minutes after such a long time,” he said.

After back-to-back preseason losses to Leeds and Monaco, Liverpool got back on track just in time for the real thing. The Reds open their Premier League campaign at St James' Park next week, and Van Dijk knows the intensity dial gets turned up fast.

“No team in world football can play full intensity for 90 minutes,” he said. “Obviously at a certain point, you're gonna have some moments where players get to a position where we're gonna be a bit tired. Then it's down to us to make sure that we are compact and find the right moment to press again. I think we did that much better than we did the last game.”

Progress, not perfection. The pieces are there — now it's about time, reps and trust.