Virgil van Dijk interview - 'I understand the doubts, but let's attack the season together'
Liverpool's new captain offers an honest and thorough appraisal ahead of the Reds' Premier League opener this weekend
“New year, same faces!”
Virgil van Dijk is smiling as he greets the five reporters who have made their way down to the players’ tunnel at Preston North End’s Deepdale stadium.
It is only a short time after the final whistle of Liverpool’s final fixture of pre-season, an entertaining 3-1 win over the Bundesliga side SV Darmstadt, but the newly-appointed Reds captain is in good form as he offers his thoughts ahead of the forthcoming campaign.
“I feel it was a good pre-season,” Van Dijk says, “I think it worked quite well to have the first camp in Germany and then Singapore. I think we all feel much fitter than we were at this point last year - or at least that’s my feeling.
“Obviously there is still work to be done on the pitch, with the way we play and defend, so let’s keep that going and make sure it is perfect for the Premier League and the rest of the season.”
Van Dijk has spoken with authority throughout his five-and-a-half years on Merseyside. He is, by some distance, the most reliable and regular mixed zone target for journalists, post-game. This month, it was confirmed that the Dutchman would take over from the departed Jordan Henderson, becoming only the third permanent Liverpool captain in the last 20 years.
Whatever your thoughts on Henderson the player, or indeed his switch to the Saudi Pro League, what can’t be argued is that, as a leader of the club, Van Dijk has a big armband to fill. He knows that himself.
“Obviously we won everything together, and I was very sad to see him leave to be honest,” he says. “But that’s football, that’s life, and he has the right to do that in this case.
“He made that decision, but if I can be as successful as he was as a captain then I would sign [up] for that immediately!”
He adds: “It’s step-by-step. I’m looking for consistency from our side, winning games, winning them the hard way at times, finding a way and creating a positive atmosphere where we all do it together.
“That includes the fans as well. That’s how I want to attack the season and give everyone the assurance that we will give everything for one another. And hopefully we will be successful.”
For some, there is a little more hope than expectation heading into the new season. Liverpool disappointed when finishing fifth last term, and though they will surely be better this time around - they certainly look as if they will be more cohesive as an attacking unit, if pre-season is anything to go by - this has not been the easiest of summers for Jürgen Klopp’s side.
The loss of Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia followed the departures of key Klopp lieutenants such as Roberto Firmino and James Milner, and though quality has been added in Dominik Szoboszlai and, especially, Alexis Mac Allister, it is still clear that the Reds are at least two players short of where they would like to be heading into the new campaign, which begins at Chelsea on Sunday.
Attempts to sign Roméo Lavia have so far proven fruitless, with three bids already rejected by Southampton for the midfielder. There has, as it stands, been no progress over a new centre-back either, despite concerns over the age and/or injury records of Klopp’s four frontline options.
Van Dijk’s glass is usually half-full, but he has heard the negativity from supporters. The message, though, is clear; trust us.
“Yeah I can definitely understand it in some ways,” he says. “But I’m not a very negative person, so obviously it’s not in my mind to think like that.
“But obviously when a lot of players are leaving, when your captain is leaving, your vice-captain is leaving, and at the moment there are only two incomings, and the way we have been playing - in possession really good, but defensively when you concede goals it’s not as good - I can understand some people having doubts.
“But the most important thing as we’ve seen over the years is the consistency as a group, everyone in the squad. Let’s see if more players are coming in, and then we have to be ready again for a long season.
“It will be very tough if we look at the teams around us, but we want to be up there again, we want to be challenging again, and the only way to do it is with the consistency that we’ve shown over the previous years - apart from last year which was very disappointing.”
Transfers aside, two key themes have emerged during Liverpool’s pre-season campaign. The first is the sheer depth of attacking talent they now possess, with five in-form forward players (plus teenage tyro Ben Doak), plus Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones and Trent Alexander-Arnold creating from behind.
The second, though, is the fact that, for all their talk and for all their work on the training field, there are still times when it appears far too easy to play through them, and in particular to send the ball in behind their defensive line.
That much was evident against Darmstadt on Monday night, as it was previously against Bayern Munich and even Leicester City in Singapore, with the Germans’ goal coming courtesy of a simple through-ball and an untracked run from the centre of the pitch.
Those kind of goals were commonplace for much of last season, and Van Dijk is well aware of the need for Liverpool, as a team, to tighten up defensively if this is to be a more enjoyable, successful season.
“Defending and attacking, you do it all together,” he says. “If you watch it very black and white then obviously when you concede goals it is the defenders or the goalkeeper’s fault.
“But the way in which we conceded the last couple of goals, the balls in behind were not defended well and we discussed that. Especially yesterday and the day before we had a long video meeting and we looked at the last line.
“It was very helpful. Obviously the way you are positioning, you have to be ready for the balls in behind and when teams smell that the danger is, there they will go for it.
“[Darmstadt] was a good test, but unfortunately with the goal they scored, we weren't ready for the ball in behind. After that we tried to do much better and I think it worked, but it shouldn’t be happening after we concede a goal.
“It is what I said: there is work to do. It is not just the midfield or the strikers or just the defenders, it is about the way we try to put the opponent under pressure. If they are under pressure they cannot play the ball in behind so easily and you are prepared for it.
“It was a good meeting the other day, very clear and very direct, and that is what we need in order to be successful.”
If that sounds as if there are doubts creeping into the players’ minds, then it shouldn’t. Van Dijk speaks with his trademark calmness, perhaps even more authority and certainty than before, in fact, and he has certainly seen positives over the past month.
Big players, big voices, may have departed, but this is not a squad short on hunger, desire, quality or character.
“We have to be confident,” he says. “We should be confident and we should still be learning each and every day.
“There have been characters leaving, players who have played a big part in the success, but others have to step up. That’s a nice challenge in my opinion. We should be excited. I’m very excited, so let’s give it a go.”
I trust the players and Jurgen Klopp implicitly. It isn’t blind faith it’s based on the fact we asked to do this before and they didn’t let us down.
However I do feel those higher up seem to have got things wrong. I obviously don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes but the evidence at the moment seems to point to something amiss.
This said, time now for us to get behind the current squad and hope the rest gets sorted asap.
He speaks very well as a captain. I think the armband will suit him. I love his honesty, and he's always been truthful in these sort of interviews (he talked about reinforcements after the Real Madrid mess last season) It's a damning indictment that we're speaking about Mac Allister shoved back to number 6 when we all know he wasn't signed to play there. I just can't believe we've let ourselves have so much work to do when the season is right around the corner. I do trust the players, but they do need help. Great work again Neil 🙌