Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk rejects criticism of training schedule

[p]Arne Slot's side suffered their ‌[a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/liverpool-lId4TMwf/manchester-utd-ppjDR086/?mid=zRIM7cR1"]18th defeat in all competitions this season[/a], leaving ‌champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] fourth in the table on 58 points ‌with three matches remaining despite spending around 446 ‌million pounds ($603.84 million) to improve the squad.[/p][p]Van Dijk was asked about online claims that Liverpool's training schedule has been light, ‌including suggestions players were on holiday ⁠last week.[/p][p][b]"I'm not sure ‌it's a holiday. It's a city trip," [/b]Van Dijk ​told reporters. [b]"If you have one day off - and you don't have many days off - people ​decide what they want to do with their families. We are not kids. Everyone is an adult.[/b][/p][embed guid="bcbfa66f-ae87-4992-8655-86795fa5767f" url="https://x.com/ptgorst/status/2051257169991909656" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"I ⁠wish we had ​a couple more days off at times because I think it works both ways. You see Pep Guardiola giving [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a] three days off in the last ‌weeks in a row and they are doing pretty well. It is about finding the right balance.[/b][/p][p][b]"I can understand if people think we are not training, and when results are not there it could be seen as a reason why we are not getting results."[/b][/p][p]Liverpool will finish the season without silverware after exiting the FA Cup and suffering a ‌heavy defeat by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]Paris Saint-Germain[/a] in the Champions ​League quarter-finals.[/p][p]They host ninth-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a].[/p][p][b]"I want this ‌to be solved,"[/b] Van Dijk added.[b] "I want us to experience what I have had over my time here. I want us to be successful... We have to realise that next season, this ⁠season cannot be repeated. ⁠It is unacceptable."[/b][/p]