Arne Slot responds to Virgil van Dijk unplanned Liverpool team meeting - 'None of them should'

Arne Slot talks to Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool will come face-to-face with a reminder of their glorious recent past when they attempt to breathe new life into their faltering Premier League title defence this evening.

Former Reds skipper Jordan Henderson will be in opposition for the first time since leaving in the summer of 2023 when Arne Slot's side take on Brentford.

The Reds avoided a fifth successive defeat and a worst run in 72 years by beating Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in the Champions League in midweek.

Nevertheless, three straight Premier League reverses have seen Liverpool slip four points behind leaders and new title favourites Arsenal.

Sunday's miserable 2-1 home loss to bitter North West rivals Manchester Unitedprompted current Anfield captain Virgil van Dijk to call an impromptu players-only meeting the following day to thrash out where things were going wrong.

And Slot believes his fellow Dutchman was right to offer a different voice to the suffering squad.

Slot

"What Virgil did and what I did is what you need to do, what all the players did,"

"None of them should accept a loss against United, especially after already losing three games. That was something I was not happy about.

"It would not be good if the voice they were hearing was always me. That is why they hear my assistants too.

“And I don’t think it was like Virgil brought them over and said (gestures working on a tactics board): 'From now on we must play like this'.

"We have five players who are captains of their national team. Virgil was not the only one who said something. You need that with experience, all of them can have a proper conversation.

"I encourage them to take responsibility and talk to each other, whether they are in the sauna or swimming pool, or when they are standing around with five or six of them.

“But if we have a leader like Virgil with so much respect in the group, then it is a good thing."

Slot added: "I have had this experience maybe 250,000 times. If they are sitting upstairs at the coffee bar now, do you think they talk? I think they do.

"They constantly talk, sometimes that is done with everybody and sometimes just the leadership group.

“They talk and they should do. They feel what happens on the pitch. But when it comes to tactics, that is my territory."

The influence of Henderson - who is the only Liverpool captain to lift six different honours - can still be seen at the club's AXA Training Centre with an inspirational quote from the England international emblazed on the wall behind which Slot was holding court to preview tonight's match.

Van Dijk - who will captain Liverpool for the 150th time tonight - succeeded Henderson two years ago and skippered the Reds to the League Cup in 2024 and the Premier League last season.

Slot said: "For me he has been the most influential captain I have had since I became a manager.

“That is meant as a compliment, but most of mine in the Dutch league were 22 or 23 because if they did well, they would go somewhere else after good performances.

"Virgil has done what I expected of him with his own performances. He has been a leader throughout my period here. Every single day, I can see he is the leader.

"If we start a session I can always hear him. I could not have asked more from him in that role. He has been very good successor."

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