Virgil van Dijk reveals how players' meeting sparked Liverpool response after Manchester United defeat - 'We had a proper debrief'
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Published 23/10/2025 at 15:47 GMT+1
Virgil van Dijk revealed he convened a players’ meeting following Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester United to lift spirits and remind the squad how swiftly their fortunes could turn. The Reds look to carry the confidence restored from the midweek win over Frankfurt with them as they face Brentford in the Premier League at Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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Virgil van Dijk has revealed that he called a players’ meeting in the wake of Liverpool’s defeat to Manchester United to lift spirits and remind team-mates of how quickly their season could turn around.
The Liverpool captain spoke after the team emphatically ended a four-game losing streak with a 5–1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday - a result that saw Van Dijk among the scorers and marked a much-improved display following a difficult run of form.
Arne Slot made key changes to both personnel and formation in Germany, including dropping Mohamed Salah, and Van Dijk believes the squad’s honest discussions earlier in the week played a crucial role in the result.
Liverpool are now looking to gather momentum when they face Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
"On Monday, everyone was sad because we lost to Man Utd at home," Van Dijk said. "We haven’t lost many games at home during my time at Liverpool.
"It was tough under the circumstances, so on Monday we came together, but it wasn’t a crisis meeting. We all know how things can change. We're only in October.
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"Nobody wants to lose four games in a row, but it was the situation we faced. We had to stay calm and block out all the noise from the outside because that’s something you can’t control.
"The only way to get out of a situation like that is to stay together, keep your mind on the task ahead, try to improve, keep the confidence, embrace the moment.
"They are all things that are easier to say than actually do. But if you want to get out of it, you have to do it.
"We live in a world now where there is always noise - always something to be said, always someone who knows is better. We have to stay focused on ourselves."
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Van Dijk said the mood inside the dressing room noticeably lifted after the meeting.
"Before my meeting, yes [the mood was downbeat] but after my meeting everyone was happy," he said.
"We had a proper debrief with the manager, but we also had a separate one as players. I wanted to say some things… It’s not something I do after every game. Let’s keep it that way."
Slot sweating on injuries to key duo
Liverpool are expected to be without Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong for their Premier League match against Brentford after they sustained groin and hamstring injuries, respectively, in Germany.
The club are awaiting further updates on both players’ conditions.
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Reds boss Slot confirmed Isak came off against Frankfurt because of injury. He told TNT Sports: "Alexander had to go off at half-time because he felt his groin a little bit. That's a pity.
"I've said many times it is such a difficult balance to find with a player that missed three months.
"You go slowly with him and people argue about playing him longer. We've now played him for the second time in three days and unfortunately he had to go off.
"Let's hope for the best but it is not an easy balance to find when a player has been out for so long."
Speaking later in his press conference, Slot added: "Today with Alex and Hugo, I brought two players on the pitch who are usually able to score goals. Alex was a few times close but had to go off at half-time.
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"Normally you try to prepare players for once-a-week football, but if you are Liverpool you play every three days or normally three times in eight days but we've been unfortunate this season we have to play three times in seven days.
"We've tried to prepare him for that, we were really careful, and he was perfectly fit when he came back from the national team before the United game.
"We thought he was well-prepared for that but the margins at the top are small. I'm hoping it won't be that bad, because if he's out for a few weeks it will put him back. So let's wait."
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