Virgil Van Dijk Wants to “Take That Frustration” Out on West Ham
Liverpool, frustrated by a nil-nil draw against Manchester United over the weekend, take on West Ham in the League Cup quarter finals.
Liverpool were by far the better side against Manchester United on the weekend in their Premier League derby clash but their finishing let them down and they could only manage a nil-nil draw and a point against their struggling historic rivals.
In the midst of what’s shaping up to be a tight title race, dropped points against a rival in a game they should have won is a difficult result to take. Captain Virgil van Dijk, though, says there’s a chance to channel any frustrations—and take them out on West Ham.
“We were frustrated at the weekend, but now we get to take that frustration into tonight’s game and look to be better in the areas where we need to improve,” he said in his pre-match notes ahead of Wednesday night’s League Cup quarter final.
“If we can do that there are no guarantees that we will make it through to the semi-finals because West Ham are a strong team, but it will definitely help our chances. There is no magic formula and no guaranteed route to success in any of these fixtures.
“By sticking together, doing everything we can as individuals and as a group, and taking each game as it comes—we can’t do anything but help our chances. I know these sentiments are not new, but they have stood the test of time for a reason.”
Despite his pre-match notes, expectations are that Van Dijk won’t start tonight’s match. While a strong side suited for a quarter final is expected, there will still likely be significant rotation with an eye to the weekend’s game against league leaders Arsenal.
Following Arsenal on the 23rd, the Reds get a very brief Christmas break before returning to action on Boxing Day with an awayday at Burnley. Newcastle United at Anfield then kick off the new year for Van Dijk and his Liverpool teammates on January 1st.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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