If Liverpool's late collapse at Bournemouth on Sunday showed us anything, it is perhaps that old habits die hard, as Jurgen Klopp's side twice threw away a two-goal lead to lose 4-3.It was an incredible collapse, conceding in the 76th and 78th minutes, and then three minutes into stoppage timewith Bournemouth recording their first victory over the Reds.On the face of it, it was a shock defeat and surprising to see Liverpool concede four goals after keeping clean sheets in each of their last three games. "How Liverpool can lay claim to having the best defence in Europe," hailed a headline in the Liverpool Echo in the week before the game, citing the statistic that they had"faced fewer opposition shots than any other team on the continent this season."If we're being picky, the statistic they were referring to was among the top five European leagues, not the whole continent, but the sentiment remains. Liverpool weren't allowing opposition teams many shots on goal, but that is probably more a sign of a good team keeping possession and dominating play than a reflection of the defence itself.And it wasn't that Liverpool allowed Bournemouth more shots on Sunday, with Eddie Howe's side only having two shots on goal in the first 75 minutesone being Callum Wilson's penalty and one blocked from well outside the area, viaStatszone.Liverpool wereas they have been for most games this seasondominant and in command for the opening 75 minutes at the Vitality Stadium.It was only in the final 10 minutes that Bournemouth peppered the Reds' goal with shots, eventually taking 12 in total. But this was only possible as the Reds dropped deep, lost control, lost possession and lost their heads.While it was out of character for this season, it was trademark Liverpool of recent years. Different personnel, but similar problems and the same outcome.It was the 3-2 defeat after being 2-0 up at Southampton in March, it was the 2-2 draws at home to relegation contenders Sunderland and Newcastle United after throwing away the two-goal leads last season.It was the turgid displays at Watford, Newcastle and Swansea City last season toojust only for 15 minutes.Liverpool's makeshift centre-back pairing of Dejan Lovren and Lucas Leiva are fine when their team is dominant and in possession, but, as Jamie Carragher commented post-match on Sky Sports, put them under pressure and they crumble.Lucas has done OK since moving to centre-back this season and strangely finds himself ahead of summer signing Ragnar Klavan in Klopp's plans for the position, therefore stepping in for Joel Matip's absence at Bournemouth.But Lucas is this season's version of Kolo Toure in 2013/14a likeable player but with huge flaws in their game and in a costly position. It may be enough to get a top-four finish, but you shouldn't be relying on such a player in a title chase.Lovren the Weak LinkMeanwhile, Lovren has improved under Klopp, but he's still not a centre-back of the quality required to win a Premier League titlealthough admittedly we'd have said the same about Leicester City's Wes Morgan or Robert Huth before last season but that pairing really is an anomaly.Much of the attention has been focused on Loris Karius post-match, with the goalkeeper failing to deal with Steve Cook's powerful shot from outside the area in stoppage time, but that's completely missing the role Lovren played in the collapse.What on earth was the Croatian doing in the buildup to Bournemouth's first goal' It's his poor decision-making and awful header that puts Wilson in and eventually sees James Milner upend Ryan Fraser for the penalty.Liverpool were all over the show for the second goal, caught on the counter-attack, but Lovren's positioning was highly questionable. He actually moved out of the way and turned his back on the ball, when he would easily have cut out Fraser's through ball to Wilson if he'd stayed in position.It was Lovren who then gave away a cheap free-kick for a foul on Fraser, from which Bournemouth eventually scored their third goal.Lovren panics, he's done it consistently in his time at Liverpool. We just haven't seen it much this season because he's not been put under as much pressure due to the Reds being dominant. He panics, the panic spreads and the defence crumbles.Lovren is far from the solution alongside Matip in the long term. There's plenty of evidence that Mamadou Sakho was Klopp's preferred choice to partner Matip this season prior to his indiscretions, so the manager could well be looking to solve the situation in January.Van Dijk the SolutionFor most fans, the solution is pretty clearsign Southampton's best player. It's the Liverpool way.In all honesty, though, forget that Virgil van Dijk plays for the club from whom Liverpool have signed five players in the last two-and-a-half years; he's the best left-sided centre-back in the Premier League at present and would be the ideal partner for Matip.Indeed, the 25-year-old Dutchman would have been an ideal signing at Anfield in 2015 when he signed for Southampton from Celtic for 13 million.Now, with Premier League experience and showing he is more than capable of the challenge in England, he'd cost at least double that figure. However, Neil Moxley in the Sunday People claims he has a 25 million buyout clause despite signing a new six-year deal in May.Extremely good in the airstanding at6'4"Van Dijk would provide a commanding presence alongside Matip, who is the same height.He can play out from defence, is comfortable in possessionfar more comfortable than Lovrenand has good concentration, which is required for an elite defender playing at a club where one mistake can prove so crucial.Importantly, Van Dijk is also a leader, a player capable of coping when put under pressure. Any top team needs leaders and players who won't shrink under pressure.Southampton boss Claude Puel, who last week dismissedspeculation linking his centre-back with a move to Merseyside, per the Press Association (h/t This is Anfield), saysVan Dijk "has everything.""He is a monster physically, he wins everything in the air, he is intelligent, technical," Puel said earlier this season, per the Mirror. "He can become one of the five best defenders in the world."Good centre-backs are a rare commodity, as Liverpool well know after their troubles in recent years, and Van Dijk will have plenty of interest with Manchester United and Chelsea both needing a new defender of the top calibre.Liverpool should go all out for Van Dijk this winter and do whatever it takes to sign him. If they don't, a rival certainly will in January or next summer.He could be the difference between title success and yet another near miss for the Merseysiders.
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