Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk warns his teammates against complacency and repeating the same mistakes after bouncing back from Nottingham Forest loss in midweek. The Reds beat AC Milan 1-3 at San Siro in the opening Champions League game by thoroughly dominating the host.
Milan started the game positively after Christian Pulisic scored a third-minute goal but Liverpool controlled the game immediately after conceding. The Reds suffered from complacency last season which cost them major titles and they showed a similar issue against Forest.
Nottingham beat Liverpool 0-1 at Anfield last weekend with a similar complacent team performance in both defensive and offensive phases. The Reds cannot fulfil their season ambition despite having a strong squad if they continue to slip up like this.
Liverpool faces a very tough fixture period due to the new format of the Champions League increasing the schedule further. They face the likes of Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig and Real Madrid in the middle of tough Premier League matches.
The severe injury crises last season under Jurgen Klopp played a mitigating factor in Liverpool’s late struggle with consistent performances. However, they hope that Arne Slot’s calmer tactics and a healthy rotation policy will negate that factor during this season.
Speaking to reporters after the game against Milan (via The Mirror), Van Dijk emphasized the need to avoid repetitive complacency. He said:
“Obviously I have a big role in that [Staying calm in front of pressure], the manager has a big role in that and we as players have to show it on the pitch. We have to – and I said it after the game – we have to stay calm and focus on our targets but going back to that game, losing at home to Forest, no disrespect to them, just us losing at home is a reality check and a shock. It can’t happen if you want to achieve things that I want to with the club. So Milan was a good reaction and now it is recovery, go home and Saturday is a big one.”
Van Dijk succeeded as captain under Jurgen Klopp in the summer of 2023 after the departure of midfielder Jordan Henderson. The 33-year-old regained his past peak form and guided the team for a quadruple challenge until the collapse in March.
Liverpool have a strong squad with fantastic leadership that involves many players from Klopp’s era who enjoyed plenty of success. These players need to keep the younger generation focused and consistent to achieve the goals of the new project.
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The Dutch captain is playing in the last season of his current contract, earning £220,000 per week. Liverpool needs to secure the future of Van Dijk and other key players including Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
