Fifty-seven minutes into Liverpool’s game at Southampton last Saturday, and Jan Bednarek sweeps a 60-yard ball down the right towards Nathan Redmond. Virgil van Dijk, a chess grand master of a centre back, has already read the move and assessed the possibility of a Liverpool counter. The PFA Player of the Year already has a picture of everybody’s location and direction of travel, friend or foe.

He’s seen his left back Andrew Robertson pushed up, as so often ready to spring another raid. He knows the midfield player James Milner drops back, partly covering Robertson. Southampton have possession but Van Dijk has control. Running towards the goal-line, Redmond awaits Bednarek’s delivery; he’s a good player, the Southampton attacker, nimble and alive to the ball, but