Virgil van Dijk admitted that his Liverpool team gave up away at Man City (Image: Getty)
Virgil van Dijk consistently steps forward to face the music. Even following a match where his own display has fallen short of expectations, he speaks candidly. As he acknowledges, he has been repeating the same message – offering apologies for substandard Liverpool performances – far too frequently. However, it seemed somewhat different in the immediate aftermath of the comprehensive FA Cup defeat to Manchester City.
The reality that the side he captains performed admirably for more than half an hour before collapsing made this reverse particularly agonising. He selects his words with care, which is why one remark rang like a warning signal. Discussing the beginning of the second half, which Liverpool started two goals behind, Van Dijk said: « Obviously you come out of the dressing room with the right intentions to score and make it 2-1 and change the game.
« But the opposite happened and then to come back from 3-0 is obviously very difficult here. But also you shouldn’t give up, and that’s maybe what happened at a certain point. » The supporters undoubtedly gave up, departing in significant numbers well before the final whistle.
The image of Arne Slot applauding the handful who stayed in the 8,000-capacity section of the away supporters’ stand proved a revealing scene to witness. And Van Dijk completely grasped why the Liverpool faithful abandoned their team.
He said: « The fans were there to support us and I can only apologise to the fans for what we have shown. We let ourselves down and the manager – but we let our fans down today. Up until the penalty, maybe not, but the way we played, especially in the second half, must hurt for everyone. It definitely hurts me.
« I’ve been there already many times this season when I’ve had hope and then we couldn’t build on performances. Today our second half, the intensity we didn’t match, the challenges we didn’t win, it was tough. To then lose 4-0 is tough. »
The LIverpool away end was virtually empty at full-time (Image: Getty)
Liverpool’s campaign, of course, remains very much alive. After all, they stand just four matches from a Champions League final.
A mouth-watering quarter-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain now beckons. Yet Van Dijk is acutely aware that the thrashing at the hands of City is the worst possible way to prepare.
He said: « I am trying to think how we can turn it around but we have been going through this for almost 75 per cent of the season. We do well but we can’t build on certain things and we fall back into games where we get beat on intensity or beat on how much you really want to go for it.
« It is a difficult one to take and everyone has to look at themselves. I am speaking for myself but it is mentally tough at the moment to take this. »
Yet Van Dijk, Slot and Liverpool must now regroup ahead of the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie in Paris — and it is plainly going to be no easy feat. Van Dijk continued: « It’s mentally very tough at the moment, I must say. Mentally, it has been a very tough season overall.
« The matter of fact is PSG is now waiting for us. I watched them yesterday (Friday) a little bit and it will be so tough again.
« But we have a responsibility, not only to ourselves but especially to the fans. If we want to make something out of this season, we have to try and do something special in the next three games. »
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