Virgil van Dijk has revealed he led a players-only meeting after Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.
When Liverpool trudged off the Anfield pitch last Sunday evening, there was no disguising the depth of their despair.
The 2-1 defeat against their North West rivals was a fourth consecutive loss in all competitions cut deep. Heads dropped, voices were low, and for the first time in months there was a genuine sense of uncertainty about where the season was heading.
It wasn’t just the result that stung, but the manner of it. Liverpool had led the Premier League table only weeks earlier, yet against United they looked drained of confidence and ideas. A late header from Harry Maguire sealed their fate, condemning Arne Slot’s side to their worst run of form since 1953.
Virgil van Dijk, the captain and one of the most senior figures in the squad, recognised something had to change. The following morning, at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby, he gathered his teammates for a meeting — no coaches, no analysts, just the players themselves. It was a rare moment of self-reflection and accountability inside a group that has grown accustomed to success.
“On Monday, everyone was sad because we lost to Manchester United at home,” Van Dijk said after Liverpool’s 5–1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday night. “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.”
That choice of words ‘not a crisis meeting’ was deliberate. The Dutchman wanted to set a tone of calm, not panic.
For all the noise swirling outside, the Liverpool dressing room needed to remember what had made it successful in the first place: togetherness, accountability, and belief.
“Nobody wants to lose four games in a row, but it was the situation we faced,” Van Dijk explained. “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.”
Liverpool’s captain spoke candidly about what unfolded during that meeting a space for honesty, emotion, and leadership.
“Obviously we also had a proper debrief with the manager,” he said. “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.
“Was the atmosphere lower than usual? Before my meeting, yes. After my meeting, everyone was happy.”
Three nights later, the difference was striking. Liverpool went to Germany and produced their most complete performance in weeks a 5-1 dismantling of Eintracht Frankfurt that was as cathartic as it was clinical.
They even went behind early, Rasmus Kristensen’s smart finish briefly threatening to heap further misery on Slot’s men. But rather than crumble, Liverpool rallied.
Hugo Ekitiké equalised against his former club, before Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté powered home headers from corners. Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai added gloss after the break, both finishing from incisive Florian Wirtz assists.
It was a victory full of purpose, energy, and conviction all the qualities that had been missing during the previous fortnight.
“We live in a world now where there is always noise,” Van Dijk reflected. “Always something to be said, always someone who knows better. We have to stay focused on ourselves.”
That mentality was central to the response in Frankfurt. Slot’s tactical changes also played a major part. Mohamed Salah was rested, the system tweaked to a 4-4-2 with Ekitiké and Alexander Isak leading the line, and Florian Wirtz operating from the right. The shape gave Liverpool greater defensive balance and allowed the midfield to control the tempo.
It was a bold move from a manager under pressure, but it paid off.
For all the tactical fine-tuning, though, the psychological reset was just as important. Liverpool had looked flat and fragmented during the losing run; in Frankfurt, they looked connected again.
Slot’s side now face a gruelling stretch: seven games in 22 days, starting with a tricky trip to Brentford on Saturday evening, where they’ll face familiar faces in Jordan Henderson, Caoimhin Kelleher, Fabio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg.
The 5–1 win in Frankfurt was Liverpool’s first since the Carabao Cup triumph over Southampton a month earlier. More importantly, it snapped a damaging run that had left them fourth in the Premier League, four points behind current league leaders Arsenal.
By the final whistle, there were smiles again. The hugs between players and staff were genuine, the mood lighter. For all the tactical shifts and statistical improvements, the biggest change was intangible belief.
Van Dijk’s players-only meeting may not go down as a turning point yet, but it set a tone one of unity and accountability. The message from the captain was simple stay calm, stay together, and the rest will follow.
Liverpool will need to hold on to that message tightly in the weeks to come.
