Following their disappointing penalty shootout defeat to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield on Sunday, Liverpool manager Arne Slot and captain Virgil van Dijk have given their reactions, with both highlighting areas for improvement ahead of the new Premier League season.
The club captain was clearly frustrated by the result at Wembley. “I hate losing, and I’ve lost my last two games at Wembley,” Van Dijk said, showing his deep disappointment with the loss.
The Dutch defender then appeared to make a subtle call for more transfer activity before the window closes. Referencing the recent sales of Darwin Núñez to Saudi Arabia and Luis Díaz to Bayern Munich, he stated, “I think there’s always room for an attacker in order to strengthen us so let’s see what the window brings.”
Manager Arne Slot also discussed the club’s busy summer in the market, explaining that after two years of little change, it was a “good moment to get new energy in.” He acknowledged that “we have lost four starters,” including players like Trent Alexander-Arnold who wanted to leave, which necessitated their significant spending spree.
The manager was particularly critical of his team’s defensive performance in the 2-2 draw. “If you want to compete to win the league, one of the main things is not conceding chances, let alone goals,” he said. “I don’t think we conceded a lot today but too much to win the game.”
Despite the defeat, Slot was unfazed by the pressure on his team as reigning champions. “Because we’re Liverpool. Pressure is always on,” he insisted. “That has nothing to do with bringing players in because we’ve lost players as well.”
The comments from the Liverpool camp paint a clear picture. While the manager is focused on improving the current squad, the captain feels another top attacker is needed to truly replace those who have departed. With the Alexander Isak transfer saga still rumbling on, the final weeks of the window will be fascinating to watch.