Van Dijk calls Liverpool's season unacceptable after 3-2 defeat — Bbc Football
football: Virgil van Dijk called Liverpool's season unacceptable after the 3-2 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford. The defeat was Liverpool's 18th in all competitions and left the Premier League title defence carrying 11 league losses, with Champions League qualification still needing four points from three games.
Van Dijk After Old Trafford
The Liverpool captain did not soften the verdict. “I'm not here to make excuses,” he said after the defeat, then added: “It's been a very disappointing season, an unacceptable season, and it's tough. We shouldn't feel sorry for ourselves whatsoever.”
He pushed the point further. “We have to work and turn this around and make sure that next season these things don't happen. It's not Liverpool.” Van Dijk also said, “I think it's unacceptable that we have lost too many times as defending champions of the Premier League and we shouldn't accept it.”
Four Points From Three Games
Liverpool's margin for error is still tight. The club may still require four points from its remaining three games to confirm Champions League qualification, which keeps the league run-in relevant even after the damage of the Manchester United result.
Van Dijk's comments also reached beyond the result itself. He said there will be “a lot of work that has to be done going into next season. When I am back from the World Cup I will go into it, but there is a lot of work to be done behind the scenes.”
Training Days And Chelsea
That work talk came alongside a direct response to criticism of Liverpool's schedule. The players had one day off in the week leading up to the Manchester United game, and the club is scheduled to have one day off this week before they play Chelsea on Saturday.
Van Dijk said some team-mates went on “a city trip” rather than a holiday last week. He also pointed to Manchester City as a comparison, saying: “I wish we had a couple more days off at times because I think it works both ways. You see Pep Guardiola giving [Manchester] City three days off the last weeks in a row and they are doing pretty well. It is finding the right balance.”
The broader message from Liverpool's captain was blunt: the season cannot be repeated, and the response starts with the group taking responsibility before the final stretch ends.
