‘Something lacking’ about Liverpool – Van Dijk

After drawing 1-1 against struggling Burnley at Anfield on Saturday, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said there was “something lacking” in his team.

At the conclusion of the game, the defending champions, who have drawn four league games in a row, were booed by their own fans.

Dominik Szoboszlai missed a penalty in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, but Marcus Edwards equalized through Florian Wirtz.

Van Dijk said, “Frustration is the word that is unquestionably in my head.

“We started to get sloppy after 60 minutes, and this is not the first time.” That needs to be addressed. It’s already been discussed, but it seems like we need to address it once more.

We will debrief, review it, and then take action, and we have 48 more hours to do it, both for ourselves and for the staff.

“We want to change something that is currently lacking,” I’d say.

For the first time since 1980-81, Liverpool hasn’t defeated any of the promoted teams at Anfield. Aston Villa, who is third, has a game in hand, seven points clear of them.

Van Dijk’s side will face a difficult Champions League match on Wednesday at Marseille, and the 34-year-old said Liverpool would need to get better.

Only the top eight of Liverpool’s Champions League standings can avoid an extra play-off round in the knockout stages, leaving them ninth.

Roberto de Zerbi, former Brighton manager, is in charge of Marseille, and Van Dijk anticipates a “hostile atmosphere.”

“Wednesday will be a very difficult game over there,” Van Dijk predicted, “not just because of the atmosphere, but because it’s against a De Zerbi team, which makes it very difficult for you.”

After Egypt’s third-place play-off defeat by Nigeria on penalties on Saturday, Liverpool will welcome back talisman Mohamed Salah.

Van Dijk remarked, “Everyone should look forward to that.” He can win games and get good results with his quality.