Van Dijk slams ‘one thing that may’t occur’ after Liverpool defeat vs Forest

On Sep 16, 2024

Captain Virgil van Dijk blasted his Liverpool team-mates warning them their “unacceptable” loss against Nottingham Forest cannot become the new standard for the team.

Despite a hugely promising start with Arne Slot at the helm, having racked up three consecutive wins, Liverpool put forth a lacklustre effort which led to Van Dijk tasting defeat at Anfield in the league – an occurrence that’s only happened twice before in his 101 home games.

“It was a very disappointing day because of the result and also most of the performance,” Van Dijk admitted. “We were too rushed and we lost too many second balls.”

The Dutch skipper highlighted that while it’s okay to lose a challenge, players need to prepare for the rebound, something Liverpool consistently failed at while Nottingham Forest turned in a stellar performance.

Refusing to let fatigue be an excuse, despite the fact that Liverpool’s entire first team had been scattered due to international commitments, Van Dijk insisted they still had enough in them to have seized the game, reports the Mirror.

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“Everyone is coming back from different places and playing a different way, but still I think even though we weren’t at our best we created chances and should have done better,” he remarked. “It’s a performance we are definitely not happy with and we expect a lot better from ourselves. Losing at home is definitely something that can’t happen, but we have to turn it around pretty quickly.”

He concluded with a stark reminder of expectations, stressing the urgency to rectify their form, especially with the Champions League trip to Milan looming and his stern call to action echoing among his team-mates.

The captain stated: “In my opinion we have a very good group that really understand that today was unacceptable, disappointing, and we all know that everyone can do better, and the only way to show that is on Tuesday.”

“That’s what we’ll focus on. We’ve been through losses and difficult moments together, and I think we have to stay calm and we will stay calm.”

“We need the whole squad. We all know that after the international break it will be a game every three days, so we need everyone in the best shape and best form.”