Van Dijk lays out six ‘basics’ Liverpool need to turn around terrible form

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has insisted the Reds have to get back to basics, starting with Wednesday night’s Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven.

The Reds come into the Champions League contest off the back of six defeats in seven in the Premier League, where Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest served as their worst result of the season.

However, things are quite different in Europe, the Reds have won three of their four Champions League clashes to stand a good chance of progressing straight through to the knockout stages via a top eight finish.

Dutch international Van Dijk knows that his team need to be on form to see off PSV though, with the Eredivisie side having beaten Italian champions Napoli 6-2 in this competition earlier this season.

Virgil van Dijk and his teammates look dejected following defeat in the Premier League match against Nottingham Forest. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

“Everyone has to step up and take responsibility, and show that they have the desire and the character to turn things around,” Van Dijk writes in the match programme, produced by Reach Sport.

“At the moment, we are letting ourselves down, letting the manager down and letting you guys down, and we know that has to change.

“Like I say, it is on us to make that change, nobody else. We can talk about what’s going wrong and what we need to do, but it’s about actions, not words.

“Each and every one of us has to first look in the mirror and then, as a team, we have to come together to show that we are better than this, stronger than this.

“It all starts with the basics; hard work, a willingness to fight for every first ball, every second ball, to compete in every duel, to block shots and win challenges. We have to do all of those things as a team. It is the only way.”

Reds boss Arne Slot also called on his side to raise their game in his match programme notes.

“On Saturday we did not meet the kind of standards that we set for ourselves,” he said. “This is clear.

“I said afterwards that in the circumstances the crowd stayed with us in a way that maybe wouldn’t happen at other clubs, but this is not something that we should take for granted.

“Again, it is up to us to create the conditions for positive support by playing good football, competing at all times and showing the kind of drive that Liverpool teams are known for.

“This is a responsibility that we all should embrace because we know from experience how positive the situation can become when it is like this.