Virgil van Dijk responds to Liverpool boos and latest Arne Slot setback - 'Have to act'

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was not happy with the Reds dropping more points in the Premier League, with Arne Slot's men unable to beat Burnley at Anfield on Saturday

Virgil van Dijk during the Premier League game between Liverpool and Burnley.(Image: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Virgil van Dijk cut a frustrated figure in the immediate aftermath of Liverpool's draw with Burnley. Once again, a low block had caused problems for his side, leading to more dropped points.

Florian Wirtz had broken the deadlock, but Liverpool couldn't find another goal. That was always going to leave the possibility of the visitors equalizing, and they did, through Marcus Edwards.

"I think frustration is the word that is definitely in my head right now," Van Dijk told reporters. "I'm frustrated. I'm frustrated that after 60 minutes we started to become sloppy and it's not the first time. We have to address that.

"It's been spoken about already but we have to address it again apparently. Monday will be a big one for it because Wednesday will be a very difficult game.

"Not only because of the atmosphere, but it's against a Roberto De Zerbi team who make it very difficult for you."

In a way, facing a Marseille team that will play out from the back and make the game more open could play into Liverpool's hands. The Reds, as Arne Slot has spoken about endlessly, have struggled against defenses that just sit in.

“We created loads of chances and that's a good sign, especially if you look at the last few games we drew," Van Dijk said. "There was a lot of possession and many chances created. But we drew and that's the frustrating thing.

Florian Wirtz scored for Liverpool against Burnley.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

"I don't like boos from my own fans. What can I say? We have to keep going. It could have been three or four one. I won't say that's a problem; I'd say there is something lacking at the moment and we want to change that."

Van Dijk admits that he has "no idea" why Liverpool is struggling. Hard work, he says, is the only way to improve and find a way out of the situation.

"We worked very hard on creating chances and created loads of chances but unfortunately we couldn't win it," he said. "We keep going.

"If I had a solution we wouldn't be having this conversation. We have another 48 hours to assess it, ourselves and the staff, and we will debrief and then we have to act."

While Slot's men are still inside the top four spots, on the same day that Liverpool dropped more points, Manchester United and Chelsea closed the gap by beating Manchester City and Brentford respectively.

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League match against Burnley at Anfield on January 17 2026(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

"I don't look at the rest," Van Dijk insisted. "We have to just look at ourselves and if we play like we did — even by creating chances in the last half an hour of today — then it will be difficult so we have to improve ourselves rather than looking at the others.

"It's not about me personally [as captain]; it's a team thing. It's not about addressing it; it is about how can we solve it because we all want to win games and we had plenty of chances to do so. The fact is we drew and that's why I'm frustrated, like everyone should be."

Lacking quality in wide areas against Burnley, the return of Mohamed Salah from AFCON — even though he wasn't playing at anything like his best level before he left for Morocco — can only be a positive thing. The January transfer window is open for just under two more weeks too.

"Obviously it is a big blow Conor [Bradley] is out," Van Dijk said. "Our right-backs are one guy less.

"Whatever the club does [in the market], it's with an idea behind it. As you all know, and not a quick fix. Let's see what the transfer window brings; I've no idea what is going on behind the scenes.

"Everyone should look forward to [Salah coming back]. Let's see when he is back and hopefully he can help us.

"Obviously with his quality he can win games and have good results. Mo is a very important member of our squad on and off the pitch and we are happy when he is back.

"Unfortunately he couldn't get to the final of the AFCON. But when he is back, he needs to help us."