Reaction from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk as Liverpool are beaten 2-1 at Anfield by Manchester United
Virgil van Dijk during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield.
Virgil van Dijk agrees with Liverpool manager Arne Slot on the defeat against Man United.
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Virgil van Dijk admits Liverpool have no hiding place after a run of four straight defeats but says the squad cannot allow themselves to wallow in what is now the worst run for 11 years.
A 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday afternoon condemned Arne Slot and his Premier League champions to a fourth successive reverse following losses at Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea before the international break.
Liverpool have not been on a run as bad since November 2014 under Brendan Rodgers and a fifth defeat in a row, at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday night, could equal an unwanted record that was set in the 1950s.
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Van Dijk accepts the players must stand up and muster a response in Germany this week but says they cannot let a woeful patch impact them too much when the Champions League returns.
“We will analyse everything that happened but I've mentioned it many times, the focus now is on the Champions League," Van Dijk said.
"We play again in a couple of days, so you have to do everything in your power to be physically recovered and especially when you lose four games on the bounce you have recover mentally as well. Everyone is doing it in their spare time in their own way but we have that responsibility.
"You can't hide, you have to keep going. You have to get a win and Wednesday is another opportunity. I think everyone here today (at Anfield) maybe felt a bit like that (anxious). You can understand it, coming back after the international break after three losses on the bounce everyone wants to see a good performance, including ourselves.
“If you want it too much then it can work the other way. It is about finding the right balance and never get too high and never get too low. We all want to win games but you have to do the right things in order to do so, all of us. Be ready for a big one during the week.
“It's been a while (since Liverpool have had a run like this), not in my time we've been losing four in a row. We've been through difficult times in different circumstances and it is always a challenge but it is one we have to deal with.
"We have to have responsibility and the most important thing is to stick together, stay confident and keep working on the things we need to improve because there are loads of things at the moment we need to improve and try to find consistency. We have to do it with our fans and people who want to see us win."
After Bryan Mbuemo's opener after 62 seconds, it was Cody Gakpo who levelled for Liverpool after Slot had introduced a number of attacking changes including Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Federico Chiesa, who supplied the assist.
However, the unbalanced look of the team meant United were able to strike late with Harry Maguire heading home after 84 minutes to secure a first victory for the Red Devils at Anfield since 2016.
Van Dijk added: “If you look at the starting line-up there were only two different players from last year so I don't think that is the problem either. The reality is we went 1-0 down pretty early on and had loads of time to put it right, we worked hard for it and they had some opportunities on the break, which was their plan, and then we got the equaliser and should have scored the 2-1 and we didn't do it.
"That is the disappointing part, you lose four in a row and it is down to us to put that right and we all want to do that as soon as possible.
“[United's winner] was a corner so you have defensive organisation so everyone on the pitch has a role and then when the ball gets cleared you have to make sure you stick to that role and unfortunately at that moment it didn't happen.
"We are a team who do not try to keep the draw, especially at home. We want to try to go for the win. We had the momentum to go for the 2-1 after the equaliser and when you have that feeling you just go for it.
I want to win the game. It is easy to say as we've just lost. Hopefully we will be on the other side of it, like we have been doing in the past. We've never been playing for a draw – maybe we have but I can't remember it. Onto the next one.
“I think you work so hard to get back into the game, create good opportunities to score hopefully the winner, didn't do that and to concede late on sums up the last three games for us. It's tough to take but we have to take it, it's reality, we have to deal with it as players – all of us who are trying to win games, including our fans and move on to the next one."
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