Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk took a relatively extraordinary step in club leadership on Friday amidst the club’s woeful recent run of results.
It’s not something the Dutchman would’ve seen coming when he re-upped with the Reds last season en route to a surprise Premier League title, but here sit Liverpool with three-straight losses across all competitions just the tip of the Anfield iceberg.
Arne Slot’s team lost 4-1 at home to PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League and it’s truly shocking but understandable that his status as Liverpool boss is under the microscope as the side has three wins and eight losses since ousting Southampton from the League Cup in late September.
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The Reds have beaten Real Madrid, Aston Villa, and Eintracht Frankfurt during that run — not bad — while losing to twice to Crystal Palace in addition to defeats at the hands of Galatasaray, Chelsea, Manchester United, Brentford, Man City, Nottingham Forest, and PSV.
Van Dijk has taken some unusual steps during the losing skid. He’s often the first man out to speak to media after the losses and even joined a studio segment with Wayne Rooney in order to bite back at the ex-Everton man’s Liverpool criticisim.
Now, he’s going directly to Liverpool supporters via his Instagram page with a post shared over an image of the players huddling on the pitch. It was also shared on Liverpool’s site, while center back mate Ibrahima Konate also shared a rallying cry on his IG account.
Virgil van Dijk issues message to fans on Liverpool’s recent struggles as Reds seek stabilization
“We’re facing one of the toughest moments of our journey, but we refuse to let this define us. We will rise from this. I believe in this team with everything I have.
“Nothing has ever been handed to us - we’ve fought for everything, and this moment is no different. We won’t give in. Won’t give up. Every challenge is an opportunity. We must grow together, lift each other up, and show the strength that lies within us.
“To the fans, keep supporting us. We all need each other more than ever!”
What do Virgil van Dijk’s outspoken display say about Liverpool, if anything?
While Mohamed Salah rarely speaks to the press in good times or bad — definitely not the bad — Van Dijk’s moments at the microphone almost seem intended to serve as a salve to any wounds shown on embattled boss Arne Slot.
Van Dijk is a former Ballon d’Or favorite with an almost imperious reputation at Liverpool. If he were an American president, his approval rating would be off the charts with anyone anywhere near his cause.
The 31-year-old has played every minutes of his 18 appearances across this season’s competitions for Liverpool, only missing a League Cup win over Southampton and loss to Palace. It’s been a remarkable ask of any player, even a center back, and there’s little doubt that the Reds’ failures to land a transfer center back other than now-injured teen Giovanni Leoni have asked so much of Van Dijk.
Perhaps he’s learned from Jurgen Klopp that the siege mentality complete with cries of “No one believes in us” sings to the Liverpool faithful, and surely the Reds will improve soon.
Is it a little odd that he’d issue his statement without even an allusion to his manager? Yeah, a little bit, but that feeling should be mitigated by the fact that it’s on the player’s IG account rather than solely on the team’s site. It could simply be an oversight or that inside Liverpool there are no concerns regarding Slot. And
Liverpool begin a must-win run of games over the next 10 days or so: West Ham away on Sunday, home to Sunderland on Wednesday, and Leeds United at Elland Road on December 6. Only West Ham will have a real rest advantage on the Reds, who have more money in their reserves than at least two of the three opponents do in their teams.
So Van Dijk is also speaking up at a time that should predispose success.