Virgil van Dijk speaks on the ‘intense football’ expected under Andoni Iraola | OneFootball

Virgil van Dijk sets Liverpool standard with intensity message ahead of Premier League season

Virgil van Dijk has laid out Liverpool’s objective for the new campaign in clear terms, speaking openly about standards, consistency and the need to “bring the intensity” under Andoni Iraola.

In a wide-ranging discussion with Men In Blazers, the Liverpool captain reflected on a difficult previous season, the start of a new era under Iraola, changes within the squad and what must improve if Liverpool are to challenge at the top of the Premier League.

Asked to sum up an Iraola training session in one word, Van Dijk’s response was immediate, “Football. Intense football. Yeah, it’s been it’s been good. A lot of work. A lot of training sessions, tactical sessions, small-sided games. Yeah, it’s been good.”

That theme of intensity ran through his assessment of the new head coach’s message. Van Dijk said, “The message is pretty clear to uh win games and not only on the weekend but also obviously in training and um bring the intensity, keep going, keep running. And and enjoy it as well.”

Intensity central to Iraola and Liverpool

There was no attempt from Van Dijk to dress up the previous campaign. His verdict was direct and unusually blunt. “I think the main thing of it all is that we had a very unacceptable season as a Liverpool player, a Liverpool standard.”

He added, “Obviously, in life you can’t always be perfect. You can’t always be on top and well, it’s how you react to it and then it’s down to us and it’s down to what we do each and every day now and we start sort of from scratch again. Everything is wide open for competitions are waiting for us and it’s excited. So that’s what we going to fully focus on and have to be much better than what we did last year.”

Those comments offer a strong indication of the mood inside the dressing room. Liverpool are entering the season with a reset in mentality, and Van Dijk’s emphasis remained fixed on daily standards, physical output and collective application.

His words on intensity also framed the bigger picture. Training, preparation and matchdays are all being tied to the same expectation, with winning habits set as the requirement from the outset.

Photo: IMAGO

Premier League title challenge remains Liverpool aim

On the question of targets, Van Dijk was equally explicit. “The thing is like, if you’re Liverpool, in my opinion, you need to have the confidence that you’ll be able to challenge um on the absolute highest level, and that’s definitely within me. Um that has never changed over all those years I’ve been at the club.”

He then pinpointed the key condition for success. “The main thing to be successful, um on any level, is to be consistent, and that’s what we have to find. We have to find the consistency. Um obviously, as individuals, to to be able to maintain this such a high level that you know, you can beat anyone, but especially as a unit, as a team, look after yourself, being fit. It’s a combination of all of it. But, if you’re consistent, um if you don’t have too many injuries, you have a good chance to be competing until the final moment of any competition, and uh that should be the aim for us.”

When the conversation turned specifically to the league, Van Dijk did not lower expectations. “As a Liverpool captain, as a Liverpool player, I want to be challenging for the Premier League title, but um you also have to be realistic, and we saw how strong Arsenal was last year. We saw how consistent they were. Um and obviously, if you look at their squad as well at the moment, they look like they have a good depth in their squad as well.”

He followed that with a message of confidence in Liverpool’s own quality, saying, “But, looking at myself and our team, I feel like we have the quality to definitely challenge for the Premier League title. But, we have to do much better than we than we did last year, and that’s uh it’s a matter of fact.”

Photo: IMAGO

Van Dijk addresses leadership and backline changes

Van Dijk also acknowledged the scale of change around him. Speaking about the departures of senior figures, he said, “Nothing is forever and obviously you you’re mentioning Mo, well deserved because I don’t think we will ever be able to replace player like that in a way that what he did for the club and that’s only a good thing in my opinion.”

He continued, “But the same go for Andy Robertson and obviously we had players in the past that obviously were very very fundamental to be part of the the success that we had we had and um that’s life and you have to just move on, adapt and others have to step up.”

On leadership, the captain was clear that responsibility must now be shared. “Well, it’s pretty early on in the season but the matter of fact is that you have to and uh you can’t shy away from taking responsibility or you can’t not want to take that responsibility. So it’s down to others to to step up.”

Regarding the development of new centre-back partnerships, Van Dijk stressed patience over instant chemistry. “Well, funny enough, it’s only been like 5 days since I’ve been been been in around training on a consistent basis with them, but in any job or professional whatever and you’re working together with someone new, it just takes time. It just takes time to get to know each other.”

He added, “And especially on the pitch, what are each other’s strengths, what are weaknesses that you have to sort of complement each other in them.”

There was also a reminder that defensive improvement starts higher up the pitch. “I’ve said it over all those years, it’s not about only us in the back, it’s about how we defend as a team and the better we do that from the front, uh the easier eventually it’s going to be for us in the back.”

Club means the world to Liverpool captain

Van Dijk’s connection to Liverpool came through strongly. Reflecting on his time at Anfield, he said, “I love this club and uh this club means so much to me. Um I feel the responsibility. I feel the the love um from the fans. Uh the appreciation as well and it’s uh it’s special because obviously like I’ve got a family and my kids obviously are s- Scousers as well. Almost as well. So yeah, this club means uh means the world to me and obviously I think everyone knows that.”

There was also a clear personal ambition in how he wants to be remembered. “That I inspired obviously this generation of fans, defenders and been an amazing successful player and captain for this football club.”

For now, though, the focus is much more immediate. Liverpool’s captain has framed the task in direct language. The standards must rise, consistency must return and intensity must define this side under Iraola. If Liverpool are to challenge for the Premier League title, Van Dijk has already made the internal benchmark unmistakably clear.