After Liverpool’s third Premier League loss in a row, which happened to be a loss at home to Manchester United, no less, Virgil van Dijk called a players only meeting to address the issues the team were
facing. The titleholders started out their defence strong at the beginning of the season, but things quickly reversed and now they find themselves four points behind Arsenal. However, it’s still only October, so a slip like this is frustrating and damaging, but not fatal, as long as they can right the ship.
Arne Slot was asked what he thought about this tactic from the captain. Some head coaches or managers might bristle at the disrespect of the team meeting without them. However, Slot came away with a different feeling.
“It would not be good if the voice they were hearing was always me. That is why they hear my assistants too,” he said.
“And I don’t think it was like Virgil brought them over and said (gestures working on a tactics board): ‘From now on we must play like this’.
“We have five players who are captains of their national team. Virgil was not the only one who said something. You need that with experience, all of them can have a proper conversation.
“I encourage them to take responsibility and talk to each other, whether they are in the sauna or swimming pool, or when they are standing around with five or six of them. But if we have a leader like Virgil with so much respect in the group, then it is a good thing.”
Besides, it’s not as though they don’t talk amongst themselves outside of “official” unofficial team meetings like the one van Dijk convened last week. And the rallying talk must have worked, because Liverpool then went on to get their groove back in the Champions League against Frankfurt, overcoming an early deficit to beat the German side 5-1. Van Dijk even did his part, scoring the second of the team’s goals.
“Virgil has done what I expected of him with his own performances. He has been a leader throughout my period here. Every single day, I can see he is the leader,” Slot said.
A Champions League group game is one thing, but it will be interesting to see if Liverpool can keep the momentum going with another league win against Brentford on Saturday evening.
