Napoli fallout hurt Kop
VIRGIL van Dijk has revealed the hurt and heartache felt by the Liverpool squad at their humiliation in Naples.
But he has hit back at the army of TV critics who have been quick to condemn Jurgen Klopp’s side for a poor start, by insisting it’s not the troubles endured by teams which matters but the way they react to them.
The Reds showed some real character in their first game after the crushing 4-1 defeat by Napoli, with Tuesday’s last-gasp win over Ajax to get their Champions League campaign off the ground.
And Van Dijk said of Liverpool’s stuttering start: “There are reasons for it, why it is not going so well.
“The reasons have been highlighted, especially the game against Napoli. We were absolutely shocking that night, we know it, it hurts all of us, it hurts me.
“What we did last week was unacceptable, all of us, and the days after that game we definitely had a reality check. The last week was quite tough to watch for everyone — especially us.
Possible
“But we also have to remember we are human beings, and these moments it is also possible that it happens unfortunately. It is how you react to it that counts.”
There was a certain frustration in Liverpool’s performance against Ajax, and from Van Dijk as he spoke candidly to the media after the win.
In particular, he questioned those ex-players who don’t reflect their own experience and he argued that he wouldn’t do the same as a pundit.
“Ex-pros and players who have played at this level know there are times when you can have a blip, a period like this unfortunately, and it is how you react to it.
“They have been in our situation and everyone has been acting like you can’t have a bad period, a difficult game or a difficult situation.
“It is too easy to say these type of things but they are doing their job and that is what they do. I would never go (down) that route, I think.”