'We are not kids' – Van Dijk bristles over questions about Liverpool holiday time

Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk warming up ahead of the Premier League match at Old Trafford. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.

Virgil van Dijk was left frustrated by Liverpool’s loss to arch-rivals Manchester United and responded with bemusement to the suggestion excess holiday time may have contributed to what he calls an “unacceptable” season.

Arne Slot has gone from securing silverware in his first campaign to questions over his future at the end of his second, with Sunday’s 3-2 Old Trafford loss leaving them fourth and fighting for Champions League football.

Liverpool were without the likes of Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak as well as two goalkeepers through injury against United, but Van Dijk knows that cannot mask their meek title defence.

“I’m not here to make excuses,” the Reds captain said. “It’s been a very disappointing season, an unacceptable season for us, and it’s tough.

“We shouldn’t feel sorry for ourselves whatsoever. We have to work, we have to turn this around and make sure that next season these things don’t happen because it’s not Liverpool.”

Van Dijk, like he does so often, faced the music and did not duck any questions, even if he looked baffled by a couple around the players’ downtime after some players were pictured abroad before the United game.

“I’m not sure it’s a holiday,” Van Dijk said. “It’s a city trip.

“But 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 kids. Everyone is an adult.”

Put to him that the perception from some is the team has too much time off, Liverpool captain Van Dijk said: “Really? 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, for example, the last weeks in a row and they are doing pretty well. It is finding the right balance.

“But I can understand if people think that we’re not training and obviously the results aren’t there that it could be a reason for why we’re not getting results.

“Like anyone else, obviously, personally I want this to be solved. I want us to be what I’ve experienced over my time here. I want to be successful.

“I want to be consistent with the team, winning games, fighting and getting the job done. At the moment, we are just disappointed.

“Consistency is the most difficult thing in any job, in anything you do, but it is the best way to be get results and also be successful. That’s what we have to try and find.

“But we have three more games now and then there will be a World Cup, there will be a rest and then we have to realise that next season this season we can’t repeat. It’s unacceptable.”

Attention now turns to Saturday lunchtime’s key home match against managerless Chelsea.

Van Dijk said: “I will be ready for it. I’m looking forward to it and I am going to make sure we get this done.”