Van Dijk Angry at Liverpool Players for Taking Too Many Holidays, Affecting Performance
JAKARTA - Virgil van Dijk was frustrated by Liverpool's defeat to arch-rivals Manchester United 2-3 last weekend.
At the press conference, the captain was asked about excessive vacation time contributing to minor performance, especially against The Red Devils.
Van Dijk, as he often does, faced the consequences and did not avoid any questions even though he seemed confused by some questions about the players' rest time after some players were photographed abroad before the match against Manchester United.
"I'm not sure it's a holiday. It's a city trip. However, I think if you have one day off, and you don't have many days off, they decide what they want to do with their families. We are not children. Everyone is an adult," said Van Dijk.
When asked about the perception of some people that the team has too much time off, Liverpool captain Van Dijk instead said that the short time off was difficult to recover from.
"Is it true? I wish we had a few more days off because I think it goes both ways. You see Pep Guardiola gives (Manchester City) three days off, for example, the last few weeks in a row and they play quite well. It's about finding the right balance."
"However, I can understand if people think that we are not practicing and obviously the results are not up to expectations, that could be the reason why we are not getting results."
"Like everyone else, of course, personally I want this to be resolved. I want us to be like I experienced while I was here. I want to be successful."
"I want to be consistent with the team, win games, fight, and finish the job. Right now, we're just disappointed."
"Consistency is the hardest thing in any job, in whatever you do, but it's the best way to get results and be successful. That's what we have to try and find."
"However, we still have three more games and then there will be the 2026 World Cup, there will be a break and then we have to realize that next season we can't repeat it. That's unacceptable," said Van Dijk.
Meanwhile, the result against Manchester United makes Arne Slot currently more often asked about his future at the end of this season - his second season at Liverpool - than how to secure a trophy.
The 2-3 defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday, May 3, 2026, put the Reds in fourth place in the standings and struggling to qualify for next season's Champions League.
In that defeat, Liverpool played without players, such as Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike, and Alexander Isak, as well as two goalkeepers due to injuries, but Van Dijk knows that it cannot cover up their weak title defense.
"I'm not here to make excuses. It's a very disappointing season, an unacceptable season for us, and it's difficult."
"We shouldn't feel sorry for ourselves at all. We have to work hard, have to turn this around, and make sure that next season things like this don't happen again because this is not Liverpool," said the Reds captain.
Now Liverpool must use the remaining three matches to lock in a place in the Champions League zone. They have the same points as Aston Villa, 58 points.
Victory in the three matches is the only way for the Reds to remain in Europe's biggest tournament next season. Closest, attention now turns to the crucial home game on Saturday, May 9, 2026, against a Chelsea without a manager.
"I will be ready for it. I'm looking forward to it and I will make sure we can finish this," said Van Dijk.