Van Dijk issues blunt message as he challenges teammates before PSV clash | OneFootball

The atmosphere around Anfield this evening might feel uncertain to those looking in, but the words from our dressing room have left no room for misinterpretation.

Virgil van Dijk has called for a collective response as we prepare to face PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, with the Dutch international insisting “it goes without saying that we need to show a reaction this evening,” via Liverpoolfc.com.

The 34-year-old described the 3-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest as “bad, a really tough day for us all,” admitting that the position we now occupy in the Premier League table is “not acceptable”.

He stressed that “everyone has to step up and take responsibility,” adding that the squad are currently “letting ourselves down, letting the manager down and letting you guys down”.

The centre-back made it clear that words are no longer enough.

“It’s about actions, not words,” he wrote, urging teammates to “look in the mirror” before coming together as a group.

That message naturally follows the honesty he showed after the Forest loss, when he said “we all have to look in the mirror” after Sean Dyche’s side became only the fourth team ever to win by three or more goals at Anfield.

Liverpool must respond after Forest defeat

(Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Our captain emphasised that improvement “all starts with the basics,” demanding hard work, commitment and aggression in every duel.

He noted that conceding so many goals cannot continue and said we “have to be harder to play against, for sure”.

This mirrors the view of Arne Slot, who wrote in his programme notes that “the only option available to us is to react in the right way,” and that effort and commitment “is the minimum possible requirement”.

Those notes also highlighted how supporters “stayed with us in a way that maybe wouldn’t happen at other clubs,” something the skipper again acknowledged by saying, “I know you guys are frustrated… and I understand that frustration.”

The Dutch defender insisted that responsibility must be shared across the entire squad.

Liverpool need character quickly

(Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Forest became only the fourth visiting side in Premier League history to win by a margin of three or more goals at Anfield.

We have now conceded nine set-piece goals already this season, the same total we allowed across the entirety of last year’s title-winning campaign.

The urgency is obvious, and the captain made it clear that “we can’t ignore the reality of the situation”.

But he also insisted that being back at Anfield gives us a platform to “show our togetherness and our fighting spirit”.

Against a PSV side arriving as Eredivisie champions and unbeaten in 11 games, the challenge is significant – yet the chance to reset is valuable.

“We will need your support and your backing as much as ever,” he wrote, promising that the squad are determined to “give you guys something to shout about once more”.

Tonight is about rediscovering who we are and proving it through actions, not words.

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