Van Dijk: unscheduled meeting steadied Liverpool after defeats

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says he called an unscheduled players meeting on Monday to steady the squad after four successive defeats, a discussion he insists was not a crisis session but helped lift morale ahead of Wednesday's 5-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League in Germany. The win halted the losing run and, Van Dijk said, prevented the club from equalling a 72-year record for consecutive losses.

On Monday, everyone was sad because we lost to Man United at home, Van Dijk said. It was tough under the circumstances, so on Monday we came together, but it wasn't a crisis meeting. He added that the players also held a separate debrief from the manager's staff and that he felt compelled to deliver a message to keep the squad focused. Before my meeting, yes the mood was downbeat but after my meeting everyone was happy, he said.

Arne Slot made changes to Liverpool's starting lineup and formation for the Frankfurt trip, handing starts to Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak together up front. Van Dijk scored with a header for the second goal as Liverpool produced a convincing performance. Ekitike scored on his return to his former club, and summer signing...