Van Dijk Expresses Disappointment Over Defeat
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has labeled the defeat by Nottingham Forest a ‘disappointment’.
The Reds were beaten at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, bringing their 100 percent start to the campaign under head coach Arne Slot to an end.
A second-half strike from substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi gave the visitors the points on what was a difficult afternoon for Van Dijk and his teammates.
It was a shocking result after a fantastic start to life under Slot and many have now questioned their title credentials following that result.That has seen a major rise in the purchase of Liverpool tickets and that is expected to continue in the course of the season.
Virgil van Dijk disappointed with defeat against Nottingham Forest
“First of all, it was a very disappointing day,” the captain told reporters post-match. “The result, and also most of the performance, was too rushed and we lost too many second balls.
“We know how direct they are, so playing against a big striker you can sometimes lose a challenge and you have to be ready for the second ball and every time there was a second ball they were on the right side of it.
“They got momentum in terms of winning the right challenges and they did the job very well and in terms of ourselves, we weren’t good enough. That’s the disappointing point of it.
“It’s difficult for me to say [if the international break didn’t help]. Everyone is coming back from different places and playing a different way but still, I think even today when we were not at our best we created chances and it should have gone better.
“But it is a performance we are not happy with, we expect a lot better from ourselves, and losing at home is something that can’t happen. We have to turn it around pretty quickly and that will be the focus.
“We still tried but I think we were too rushed, we put the ball in the box a bit too quick or overplayed it and then you don’t get the momentum you want to get.
“Overall it was a disappointing afternoon, something we didn’t want to happen but we have to turn this around and make this a sort of reality check to be better for the rest of the season because if you want to achieve things this season the contrast between the games we played is too big.”
Van Dijk added: “If you want to dwell on things it is only going to backfire on yourself. That’s how we live our lives and that is what we have to do but the disappointment is still there.”
Are Liverpool still the title challenger?
Following that shocking result, many have questioned the readiness of the Reds to challenge Manchester City and Arsenal for the Premier League title this season.
The Reds may have started the season like a house on fire under Slot, but how they lost at home to Forest has left so many questions begging for answers. During the summer transfer window, the Reds failed to strengthen in some key areas with only Federico Chiesa the only outfield player that was brought in. As widely debated, the lack of quality additions might be their greatest undoing.
However, three wins out of three – including a comfortable 3-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford – changed the whole narrative but they have been given a reality check by the Reds.
They still have plenty of time to effect changes, work on their mistakes, and start showing their winning mentality because it is still early days in the season. The Reds are still very much in the UEFA Champions League – a competition they did not play last season.
Erstwhile manager, Jurgen Klopp, has left the side in a comfortable position as compared to where he met them and Slot’s job is to steady the ship and ensure his current soldiers stay motivated if they want to win laurels.
With that being said, the Forest defeat is just a minor setback for them. With the quality at Slot’s disposal at the moment, they cannot be ruled out as one of the title challengers. Ryan Gravenberch is reborn, Mohamed Salah and the fit-again Diogo Jota have things to do upfront, while Luis Diaz looks to play an important role in whatever they hope to achieve this season.
Without any doubt, one area they might be lacking at the moment might be the defensive midfield role – an important position on the pitch. It will take a lot of hard work and preparation to keep the team going without a proper DM. Wataru Endo did some work there last season, but he has not been looked due to the exquisite form of Gravenberch. In addition, Slot will also bank on the experience of Van Dijk in his defence if he is going to succeed at the club and make a name for himself.
With all said and done, Manchester City remains the team to beat in the Premier League, while Arsenal are close challenger, Liverpool can stay in that conversation if they can put this poor result against Forest behind them and forge ahead.
Fantastic start to the new Champions League season
Arne Slot’s side were excellent as the Champions League began on Tuesday, coming from behind to beat AC Milan at San Siro. In Slot’s opening European fixture in charge, goals from Ibrahima Konate, captain Virgil van Dijk, and Dominik Szoboszlai secured the comeback win after Christian Pulisic had netted for the hosts in the third minute of the Champions League encounter.
Speaking after the win, Slot said: I said a few times already, normally you celebrate your birthday with your friends and your family. But this was a really good alternative to play the first Champions League game against a special club for Liverpool, but also a special club for Dutch people in a nice venue.
“Then to win it the way we did after going 1-0 down after five minutes with the result of Nottingham Forest still in our head. I think it was very good to see how they took the game in their hands the players and in the end, we scored three goals and won 3-1.”
The Reds will now return to the Premier League where they are due to host Bournemouth at Anfield this coming weekend.