With three clean sheets in their last three league matches, Liverpool appear to have rediscovered at least some of their defensive solidity after last season’s structural dysfunction.
Now the goal for the team will be to try to build on those foundations, something that won’t be made easier by the three-week international break we’ve embarked on which sees most of the team’s first team stars now off with their national teams.
“We know we can be very good but we have to stay calm and keep working and not
get ahead of ourselves,” was captain Virgil van Dijk’s take on the place they find themselves a month into the new season under head coach Andoni Iraola.
“It was an important win at a difficult ground, but at times we could have done better—but still it’s three points and a clean sheet and everyone is off to their countries now and then you have to look after yourself.”
The players may be away from team training for a solid stretch now, potentially undermining Iraola’s efforts to continue to train them on his systems and patterns, but they certainly won’t be getting rusty with four games on store for most.
For Van Dijk and fellow Dutch representatives Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch, that means Nations League games against Germany on Thursday followed by Serbia on Sunday, then Greece and Serbia again the following Thursday and Sunday.
