2026-02-05 12:05:47

Virgil van Dijk has dismissed claims of dressing-room unrest at Liverpool amid a difficult spell of results.

The Liverpool captain, 34, was speaking after the Reds ended a five-game Premier League winless run with a 4-1 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday (31.01.26) – a result that steadied the mood around head coach Arne Slot ahead of Sunday’s (08.02.26) trip to Manchester City.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Van Dijk, said: “It’s like us players as well – if you don’t perform you get criticism and that’s part and parcel of the game. We have to perform. That’s what we didn’t do on a consistent basis, but we speak about that every three or four days, unfortunately.

“On Saturday it was a good performance and the same for midweek. Now it’s down to us to work this week on Man City and do that again.”

Liverpool’s season has been marked by sharp swings in form, as they progressed comfortably to the Champions League last 16 and remain in the FA Cup ahead of a fourth-round tie against Brighton on 14 February.

However, seven league defeats across autumn and winter have left them sixth in the table, chasing Champions League qualification.

Van Dijk was also asked about Slot, who led Liverpool to the Premier League title last season, but has come under scrutiny during the recent downturn.

He said: “Who gives him the disrespect? That’s the question. Is the disrespect being given by people that we shouldn’t value their disrespect?

“I can also think about players being disrespected. Is it a significant show of disrespect or someone you can just let slide and instead focus on the task ahead? That’s the responsibility we speak about every three or four days.”

Van Dijk stressed that much of the perceived turmoil is driven externally, particularly through social media.

He said: “If you’re going to read all that stuff, one week you could be the hero and the next week the villain.

“I spoke last week about how much worse and difficult it’s getting every year. For the next generation it will be a very big challenge.”

Liverpool have continued to invest heavily despite their inconsistent league form.

Defender Jeremy Jacquet will arrive from Rennes in the summer following a £60 million agreement, adding to a rebuild that has already seen major spending on younger players over the past two windows.

Van Dijk, however, was adamant there are no internal issues behind the results.

He said: “I don’t think there has been any question about togetherness internally. I don’t think there’s any disharmony. There are obviously challenges and everyone is dealing with situations in a different way.

“It’s about dealing with it together and how we fix it and change things around. If you come out of it like we should do, then it can only improve you as a team and as a player.”

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