Virgil van Dijk has said he called a players’ meeting after Liverpool’s defeat by Manchester United to lift the mood and remind the squad how quickly their fortunes could change. Liverpool ended a run of four consecutive defeats with a 5-1 rout of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Van Dijk one of five goalscorers. Arne Slot changed personnel and formation to spark an improvement in Germany.
His captain believes the clear-the-air talks contributed to the recovery. “On Monday, everyone was sad because we lost to Man United at home,” Van Dijk said. “We haven’t lost many games at home during my time at Liverpool. It was tough under the circumstances, so on Monday we came together, but it wasn’t a crisis meeting. We all know how things can change. We’re only in October.
“Nobody wants to lose four games in a row, but it was the situation we faced. We had to stay calm and block out all the noise from the outside because that’s something you can’t control. The only way to get out of a situation like that is to stay together, keep your mind on the task ahead, try to improve, keep the confidence, embrace the moment.
“They are all things that are easier to say than actually do. But if you want to get out of it, you have to do it. We live in a world now where there is always noise – always something to be said, always someone who knows is better. We have to stay focused on ourselves.”
Van Dijk said there was a noticeable improvement in the atmosphere after the players’ meeting. “Before my meeting yes [the mood was downbeat] but after my meeting everyone was happy.
“We had a proper debrief with the manager, but we also had a separate one as players. I wanted to say some things … It’s not something I do after every game. Let’s keep it that way.”
after newsletter promotion
Liverpool visit Brentford on Sunday with Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong expected to miss out after sustaining groin and hamstring injuries respectively in Germany. Liverpool are awaiting confirmation on the extent of the injuries.