Steven Gerrard Reveals Intriguing Tactics Employed by Liverpool to Counter Nemanja Vidic
Recently resurfaced footage of Steven Gerrard delving into Liverpool’s strategies against Manchester United has reignited discussions surrounding Nemanja Vidic and Virgil van Dijk.
The former Liverpool captain disclosed that his team specifically targeted the Serbian defender due to perceived weaknesses in his game.
This week, Vidic has become a prominent figure in debates sparked by comments made by Jamie Carragher, who staunchly defended Van Dijk following Liverpool’s draw against Arsenal.
Van Dijk endured a challenging match, particularly in the early stages, where he made a critical error leading to Arsenal’s opening goal.
Carragher’s Defense of Van Dijk Van Dijk’s performance prompted remarks suggesting a decline in his form, which did not sit well with Carragher.
The Sky Sports pundit came to the 31-year-old’s defense, responding to a tweet that compared him to some of the Premier League’s greatest center-backs, including Vidic.
“VVD is far better than Vidic, who was a top CB, but have you forgotten his performances against Torres?” Carragher wrote.
“Rio & JT had poor seasons in their careers like all players, VVD is having one now.
“No CB in the PL era has ever had VVD’s impact on a team.”
Rio Ferdinand’s Retort However, these comments did not go unnoticed by former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand, Vidic’s teammate for eight seasons.
In response to Carragher’s remarks, Ferdinand dismissed the notion that Torres had tormented Vidic, deeming it a “myth.”
He stated, “[Marcus] Rashford has scored six goals in 13 games against Liverpool. Does that mean he terrorized Van Dijk and that Van Dijk can’t handle him? Are we applying the same methodology we’re using for Vidic? Rashford is scoring in every other game against Liverpool.
“I’m unsure why Vidic’s name was dragged into this. People are criticizing Van Dijk for his recent performances, acknowledging he’s having an off-season, which he is, and I believe he would admit that.”
Resurfacing of Gerrard’s Comments However, could the debate be settled by Gerrard’s remarks from years ago, where he informed Gary Neville that Liverpool intentionally targeted Vidic in their games?
Vidic struggled when facing the Reds, and half of his eight red cards at United were against Gerrard’s side.
This included a match in 2009 when Liverpool triumphed over United with a resounding 4-1 victory at Old Trafford.
During an analysis of that game with Neville, Gerrard emphasized how Liverpool aimed to exploit Vidic rather than Ferdinand.
“Our game plan involved Torres starting against Rio but making runs behind Vidic,” Gerrard explained.
“Or if we had Vidic in a one-on-one situation, we would always try to isolate him because we knew he could be rash.
“Rio, on the other hand, was capable of recovering due to his speed, agility, and strength.
“Vidic was an excellent defender in terms of protecting his own box and posing a threat during set-pieces, but when isolated, he could be troubled.”
Watch: Gerrard Shares Insights on Vidic’s Vulnerabilities as a Player
“He was phenomenal for Liverpool; he could win games single-handedly,” Gerrard praised Torres, who scored the equalizer that day.
“These two center-backs were renowned as the best partnership in the league, yet he was the only player who could dismantle both of them on his own.”
The video then proceeds to show the moment when Vidic brought down Gerrard with 14 minutes remaining, resulting in Vidic’s dismissal as the last man back.
Gerrard on Fernando Torres targeting Vidic in games.
— Rahman osman (@iamrahmanosman) April 10, 2023