Virgil Van Dijk said: “I would say the last couple of months has been just strange. Everyone is trying to find consistency, not only us as a team and as a club, but if you look at other teams around it is just difficult. No-one really can put a finger on it. Obviously a big part of this is because there is going to be a such a big break coming up and the World Cup and players getting injured, players not fully fit. It was strange, it was difficult for everyone, but I can only speak for us because I’m in the middle of it. But it was good to find a bit of stability in the last couple of games. Obviously a lot of players will still work during the break after a holiday period first. It was good to reach 22 points. It has been a tough couple of months but I think it was very important to win a tough game against a team with a new manager.”
Virgil van Dijk admits the disruption caused by the forthcoming World Cup has been a key factor in Liverpool’s “strange” season. The Reds signed off ahead of the six-week break for the tournament in Qatar with that comfortable win over Southampton on Saturday afternoon. Van Dijk, who is one of seven Liverpool players now jetting off to the World Cup, has pinpointed the unique circumstances of the campaign as contributing to issues for the Reds and many of their rivals.