There has been a suggestion online that the Reds' preparation ahead of the Old Trafford clash was not correct for such a big encounter - however, Virgil van Dijk has been among those to refute that claim
14:03, 04 May 2026
Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak, Ibrahima Konate and Jeremie Frimpong
Liverpool's players have been criticized for taking time away from the club ahead of the Manchester United clash
Liverpool’s players have not lacked reasons for criticism this season, and many of the team’s flaws were evident again at Old Trafford on Sunday as the Reds fell to a 3-2 loss.
However, one unexpected critique to emerge from that Manchester United setback was the negative assessment of the team’s build-up and preparation ahead of the game.
Several players spent time away from the club at the start of the week. Alexis Mac Allister was among those, uploading photos to Instagram of his short family trip to Rome. Indeed, such was the level of scrutiny, The Athletic has questioned whether the players taking “mini breaks in Europe” was the best preparation for such a high-profile fixture.
READ MORE: Ibrahima Konate 'very sad' as Liverpool star details half-time change against Man UtdREAD MORE: Daniel Sturridge piles pressure on Alexander Isak with Arne Slot verdict
However, sources have indicated to Liverpool.com that there was nothing out of the ordinary with the club’s build-up to Sunday’s game, with the players required to attend a recovery session on Sunday, the day after the Crystal Palace victory, before having four team trainings in the week leading up to the United game.
This is standard for a one-match week where the game falls on a Sunday. There will be one fewer session this week, as the Chelsea game is on Saturday.
However, that did not stop Virgil van Dijk from being asked questions about Liverpool’s preparations for the game.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 11: Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Fulham at Anfield on April 11, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Van Dijk rejected the thought that time off affected Liverpool's preparations against United(Image: Getty Images)
The Liverpool captain claimed the players were only given one day off in the week, and how the squad decides to use that time is an individual choice.
“I'm not sure it’s a holiday. It's a city trip," said Van Dijk. "But I think if you have one day off, and you don’t have many days off, everyone can decide what they want to do with their families. We are not kids. Everyone is an adult.
"This week, we have an early kick-off on Saturday, so preparation is on that. Yesterday we were in a hotel. Today we played. So two days away from the family again. It’s not that we have a holiday whatsoever.
Ryan Gravenberch and Alexander Isak
Liverpool trained four times ahead of United game(Image: 2026 Liverpool FC)
"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.
Article continues below
"I can understand if people think we are not training and, when results are not there, it could be a reason for why we are not getting results. Like anyone else, I want this [the lack of consistent results] to be solved."
Liverpool’s number of days off has been a topic of discussion before, particularly following the title win last season, when Arne Slot flew to Ibiza to celebrate.
Questions were also asked when Slot left Liverpool during a mid-season international break, rather than remain at the AXA Training Centre, while several players also enjoyed time away in between matches against Newcastle United and Manchester City at the start of February.