Virgil van Dijk's Challenge for Liverpool: No Repeat of Unacceptable Season

Virgil van Dijk has drawn a hard line under last season and thrown down a challenge to everyone inside Liverpool’s dressing room: there can be no repeat of what went before.

On the eve of the new Premier League campaign, the Liverpool captain branded last year “unacceptable” and made it clear that standards must rise sharply as the Andoni Iraola era begins away to Newcastle United on Sunday.

Liverpool started 2024/25 as champions of England but unravelled badly. Twelve league defeats, 20 losses in all competitions and a limp stumble to fifth place told their own story, even if Champions League qualification was salvaged on the final day. Arne Slot paid the price within a week, removed from his post after a single, disjointed season.

The reset has been swift. Iraola, a free agent after leaving Bournemouth, signed a two-year deal in early June and has already left his fingerprints on the side during pre-season, hinting at a more daring, front-foot style. Van Dijk, now heading into his 10th season at Anfield, sounds energised by the shift – but adamant that tactics alone will not fix what went wrong.

“For me personally, being a Liverpool player, last year was unacceptable,” he said. “But that is last year. This year we have an opportunity to turn that around, together with our fans.

“And we all know how tough that will be but if you don't up for the challenge, then you're not at the right place. What I feel at the moment is everyone is up for the challenge. Let's see how we go about it.

“But I'm really looking forward to this season and I don't think we have a point to prove to anyone. We have to show how much we care, how much we want to fight for this badge and also realise how privileged we are to be playing for Liverpool.”

The defender has already seen enough of Iraola’s work to understand what is coming.

“If you look at Bournemouth last year (under Iraola), I think they were pretty exciting,” Van Dijk said. “I would say if we keep working, keep believing, keep showing our quality, staying fit, and hopefully win a lot of games then we can be very excited.

“That's the aim, that’s what we fight for, but we all know how tough it is. We all know how tough it is to be playing Premier League football, to be playing on all four fronts, but you have to embrace it. You have to enjoy the ride.

“We are all so blessed here and we have to keep going and enjoy it and that's what I will do, and I encourage everyone to do that as well. That's what I keep saying to the boys as well so let's see.”

The new campaign will also bring a fresh look to Liverpool’s back line. Iraola must choose whether to throw £60m signing Jeremy Jacquet straight into the heat of St James’ Park or lean on the experience of Ronald Araujo, the Barcelona defender who arrived on loan earlier this month. Either way, Van Dijk will have a new partner alongside him when the season kicks off.

The Netherlands captain knows that individual upgrades are only part of the equation.

“We need a squad that is able to compete on all four fronts and that’s the only way to try to be successful,” he said. “Let’s see what the last couple of weeks of the transfer window will bring and then let’s go for it.”

Unacceptable is the word Van Dijk chose for last season. The real question now is what word Liverpool will force the rest of the league to use for this one.