Virgil Van Dijk: Liverpool Captain Took Drastic Action After Bitter Man Utd Defeat

Virgil van Dijk has revealed he led a players-only gathering aft Liverpool’s disastrous conclusion to Manchester United past Sunday.

The Liverpool skipper was 1 of respective high-profile names who played beneath their accustomed standards successful theweekend’s conflict pinch bitter foes United, nan Reds succumbing to a precocious 2–1 conclusion arsenic a consequence of Harry Maguire’s match-winning header.

It marked Liverpool’s 4th consecutive conclusion successful each competitions and signalled imaginable situation arsenic they fell further down Premier League title rivals Arsenal and Manchester City.

However, Arne Slot’s broadside bounced backmost from nan disappointment pinch a thumping 5–1 triumph complete Eintracht Frankfurt successful nan Champions League connected Wednesday evening, aft which Van Dijk admitted to an emergency squad gathering astatine nan commencement of nan week.

“On Monday, everyone was sad because we mislaid to Manchester United astatine home,” said Van Dijk, who scored successful nan triumph astatine Frankfurt. “We haven’t mislaid galore games astatine location during my clip astatine Liverpool. It was reliable nether nan circumstances, truthful connected Monday we came together, but it wasn’t a situation meeting. We each cognize really things tin change. We’re only successful October.

Liverpool returned to winning ways connected Wednesday night. / Alex Grimm/Getty Images

“Nobody wants to suffer 4 games successful a row, but it was nan business we faced. We had to enactment calm and artifact retired each nan sound from nan extracurricular because that’s thing you can’t control. The only measurement to get retired of a business for illustration that is to enactment together, support your mind connected nan task ahead, effort to improve, support nan confidence, clasp nan moment.”

Quizzed astir nan effect of Monday’s meeting, nan Dutch world admitted nan coming together had lifted nan temper successful nan Liverpool camp.

“Before my gathering yes [the temper was low} but aft my gathering everyone was happy,” added nan 34-year-old. “We had a due debrief pinch nan manager, but we besides had a abstracted 1 arsenic players. I wanted to opportunity immoderate things. It’s not thing I do aft each game. Let’s support it that way.”

Hugo Ekitiké, Ibrahima Konaté, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai joined Van Dijk connected nan scoresheet midweek arsenic Liverpool avoided a 5th consecutive nonaccomplishment for nan first clip since 1953. The Reds will now beryllium afloat of assurance heading to Brentford successful nan Premier League connected Saturday evening.

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