Virgil Van Dijk Says Liverpool’s Poor Season a “Big Shock to Everyone”

After Liverpool’s humiliating 5-2 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid mid-week, the Reds went into Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace looking to bounce back and promising an angry response.

Instead, the result was a fairly tepid scoreless draw, one that saw Liverpool and star centre half Virgil van Dijk record a clean sheet but fail to do enough in attack to really deserve any more than that.

“It’s a tough place to come and it’s been a bumpy season, so to keep a clean sheet away is a positive but I think we should win,” Van Dijk noted of Liverpool’s result away at Palace over the weekend.

“We came to win because we want to qualify for the Champions League and we didn’t do it. We can be happy with a clean sheet but that’s about it. I’m thinking about the football club and I want to win.

“I want to play in the Champions League and this football club belongs in the Champions League. Yes, we can still get in because there are enough games but we need to step up, we need results.”

So far this season, every promising run has been followed by a step back—as with recent 2-0 victories over Everton and Newcastle being followed by defeat to Madrid and Saturday’s draw at Palace.

Now, with 15 league games to play, the season isn’t over but they’re running out of time to rediscover something of the form they showed in the past when they were one of Europe’s very best sides.

“We were spoiled with the last four or five years,” Van Dijk added. “Winning all the trophies that were available and a season last year that we were competing for all the trophies until the last day.

“To have this bumpy season so far is obviously a big shock to everyone. The only way to get over this and try to get into the Champions League is to focus and be positive and enjoy also being out there.

“The only way to get over this is to fight together. It’s a privilege to be out there. That’s what we have to realise. We have to be positive and brave and enjoy the fight and the opportunity we still have.”