Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk has admitted there was a ‘confrontational’ team meeting following last week’s 4-1 defeat to Napoli.
The Reds were comprehensively beaten by the Italian side in their opening Champions League game last week, with Luciano Spalletti’s side comfortable and deserved winners.
In truth the result could have been much worse for Liverpool, who were outrun, outfought and outthought in the clash.
It led to serious questions after the game, with manager Jurgen Klopp even publicly admitting that they needed to reinvent themselves as a team.
That was a huge statement to make given their success in recent years, with some even believing that Klopp may be suffering from the seven-year curse that has affected him at both Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.
They’ve since bounced back from that defeat with a 2-1 win over Ajax last night but speaking after the game, the Liverpool star admitted there had been a tense team meeting beforehand.
“Immediately after that game at Napoli, we knew things had to be different,” De Gerlander report him saying.
“That was something that should never have happened, but we are human too. The day after, we had an important meeting with each other.
“It was confrontational for everyone. I also felt affected after that match. How we defended there was painful to watch.
“Then it’s about going back to basics. For us that is pressure, passion, energy, pressure forward. I think we did that happily at times tonight. I think we showed a good response.”
