Virgil van Dijk has conceded Liverpool have been unrecognisable at times this season due to a collection of poor performances, most notably Napoli away in the Champions League.
The Reds turned a corner in recent weeks by winning their final two Premier League fixtures before the World Cup break, in addition to booking their place in the knockout phase of Europe's elite competition for the sixth straight season.
There was genuine concern Liverpool's impressive Champions League record of recent years was at risk after a dismal 4-1 defeat against Napoli in their opening group stage fixture, a display that very few individuals came away with any credit from.
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Serious questions were being asked of Jurgen Klopp's side at this stage, such was the severity of this loss, and Van Dijk has now admitted he also shared concerns over the direction the team were seemingly heading in. Asked how he handles difficult moments such as this, the Dutch defender told Algemeen Dagblad : “Sometimes it helps to put things in perspective; to take a little more time for the children, for at home. I'm just human too, right? I also just have a very normal life. It helps to think about that a bit more. To realise that in the end it is just a game.
"But the dip we had at Liverpool, especially after that match against Napoli (4-1 loss in the Champions League), was a bit more extreme, wasn't it? Then we were really bad. We really weren't ourselves for a while."
Currently captaining his country at the World Cup, Van Dijk is on the verge of helping Holland reach the last-16 of the tournament as they prepare to take on Qatar in their final group stage fixture. Featuring in a back-three system for Louis van Gaal's team, the 31-year-old is fully aware this approach restricts him to build from the back in the same way he does for Liverpool on a regular basis.
“That also has to do with our way of playing," he said of the differences encountered when playing for club and country. "I am the middle [of back 3] with Oranje. In the build-up, the left and right centre-backs are perhaps even more important. - and rightly so. Nathan Ake is left-footed, Jurrien Timber is also very good on the ball.
“In my role, I often have the striker in front of me and I am the lock on the door. I feel very comfortable with that, I really do, but it is a slightly different role. No [the formation is not an issue], not at all because we have played very well in this formation in the past 10 games or so. In possession of the ball, in putting pressure, that often went very well against not the lowest countries. We need to get back to that level – and fast.”
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