- Liverpool have endured a difficult week after defeats by PSG and Newcastle
- Virgil van Dijk has issued a rallying cry to his teammates amid their poor form
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Why Eddie Howe is the ‘greatest coach of his generation’
Virgil van Dijk has issued a rallying cry to his Liverpool team-mates amid their recent struggles on the pitch.
The Reds suffered their latest setback on Sunday afternoon after losing the Carabao Cup final 2-1 to Newcastle, which came days after their shootout defeat by PSG.
Though the league title will, more than likely, be heading back to Merseyside at the end of the campaign, there are still some concerns among Liverpool supporters.
Now, despite his unresolved contract situation, Virgil van Dijk has come forward and urged his team-mates to ‘work our a**es off’ to stop the ‘world sinking’.
According to The Sun, he said: ‘We have to turn this around. If you lose twice in five days it feels like the world is sinking. Two weeks before, everything was sunshine and rainbows.
‘In the Champions League, we couldn’t get it done, we lost this final and we got knocked out of the FA Cup.
Virgil van Dijk has issued a rallying cry to his Liverpool team-mates amid their recent struggles
Liverpool have endured a difficult week after back-to-back defeats by PSG and Newcastle
‘We have nine games to go and I don’t think there’s any motivation needed to try to get the job done. We have to work our a**es off’.
‘But now everyone goes to their respective countries and will all play and hopefully stay fit. We then have a couple of days to settle down and be ready for Everton at home.
‘If we win five games — obviously a very difficult job — we’ll be champions of England. If you keep these things in your mind it also can benefit you to make sure you’re working hard.
‘I can guarantee you right now there will be so many difficult moments in all of those games.’
As it stands, the Reds are 12 points above Arsenal and are in the driving seat to secure a historic title in Arne Slot’s first season at the club.
Despite their dominance in the league, question marks still remain over the futures of Mohammed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk – who are all on expiring deals.
However, speaking before their Carabao Cup final defeat, Netherlands international Van Dijk urged Liverpool fans not to panic about his contract situation.
Van Dijk has now urged his teammates to put in the hard work to prevent the ‘world sinking’
‘As long as I am calm to you guys then there is no need to panic, whatever may happen in the future. If I was worried you would see me playing a little bit worried and that is not the case.
‘Maybe I will run this fully down and then if there is still no news, I don’t know. I don’t know at this stage (what will happen). But I don’t want to create any anxiety or anything like that, I just keep my head down and focus on hopefully winning the next 10 games.
‘That is my full focus: to be there for the manager, the players, the fans. So let’s see what it brings and I am sure by the end of the season there will be news. But what kind of news I am not sure.
‘The only thing I can say, and I have said it already many times, is that I am so proud to be the captain of this beautiful club that means so much to me and has meant so much to me in the past, as well as my family.’
