Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says new head coach Arne Slot won't get a honeymoon period at Anfield after the Reds bounced back from a disappointing defeat to Nottingham Forest by winning 3-1 at AC Milan in the Champions League.
Slot had already overseen a 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford but this was another eye-catching result in the early weeks of his tenure. So far, it has been a relatively smooth transition away from Jurgen Klopp and into the new era.
However, Van Dijk admitted that the Nottingham Forest defeat at home — the worst Liverpool performance at Anfield since at least the 2-1 loss against Leeds United in 2022 — was a "reality check". And he says that the Reds have no choice but to maintain the levels set in the other matches this season if they are to avoid slipping up again.
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"In football, you have to deliver today and tomorrow and if you don't then the pressure can pile up from the outside," he told reporters including from the Daily Mirror . "But we have to stay calm. Obviously I have a big role in that, the manager has a big role in that and we as players have to show it on the pitch.
"We have to — and I said it after the [Nottingham Forest] game — we have to stay calm and focus on our targets. But going back to that game, losing at home to Forest, no disrespect to them, just us losing at home is a reality check and a shock.
"It can't happen if you want to achieve things that I want to with the club. So Milan was a good reaction and now it is recovery, go home and Saturday is a big one."
Liverpool will host Bournemouth on Saturday in the Premier League . And after the slip against Nottingham Forest last time out, Van Dijk says he was very happy with the response in the San Siro.
"I think, especially after the first three minutes, we showed the reaction in Milan I like to see," he continued. "On to many more. You have to remember, who is saying things are a disaster (if we don’t win)? People from the outside, so what can you do about the outside? The only influence we have is what we do on the pitch.
"You saw the reaction in Milan and when you play the way we want to play instead of running around a lot, looking like we have absolutely no plan, like we did especially as we did for the last half an hour, then you can play for another hour and you won't score."
Van Dijk and his center-back partner Ibrahima Konate both got on the scoresheet in Milan with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kostas Tsimikas setting up those first-half goals from set-pieces. Cody Gakpo proved a point on his first competitive start of the season and the Liverpool captain was impressed with him too.
"Last year he played some great games too and I don't think we should forget that, in my opinion," Van Dijk added. "Obviously the last couple of weeks, apart from the national team, I know what he can produce and we all know what he can produce. But when you play just one game a week, I think the players need to be patient and we need everyone to be at their best.
"We try every game to be important at set-pieces. I think the last game I had two chances and maybe sometimes it looks and sounds easier than it is. Me and Ibou are both 6ft 4, or whatever, and we should score every ball that comes into the box.
"But sometimes you are double marked and obviously it is not always perfect, so you have to fight for it. But we were there and we can see how important it is because you saw today, Ibou's goal was big, my goal was a big help in order to get going for the second, so it was good."
Liverpool.com says: Van Dijk didn't do a great deal wrong against Nottingham Forest with the blame lying at those in front of him, who were all off-form at the same time. He is right about needing to carry on performing this season but there is no reason to think that won't be possible.
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