Virgil van Dijk has described Liverpool’s season as “unacceptable” and said there are no excuses for it.
And the Liverpool captain said they have to make sure it does not happen again next year as he admitted there is a lot of work to be done to ensure there is no repeat.
Liverpool were condemned to an 18th defeat of the campaign on Sunday as Manchester United beat them 3-2, leaving the defending champions 18 points behind league leaders Arsenal.
And Van Dijk said: “We have to realise next season this season cannot be repeated. It is unacceptable. I’m not here to make excuses. It’s been a very disappointing season, an unacceptable season. We shouldn’t feel sorry for ourselves whatsoever.”
Liverpool need a maximum of four points to guarantee qualification for next season’s Champions League and Van Dijk underlined the importance of securing a top-five finish.
He added: “I care so much about this club. I know that it has been a tough season but I will always be there in good and lesser good days. But we have three games left and the realisation has to come from ourselves, as a group and as players, to make sure that we are in the Champions League because of the impact of it for the financial side for the club. But also because we want to be playing in it against the best teams in Europe. It’s not easy. But we keep going.”
Van Dijk lamented Liverpool’s inconsistency and insisted that a lot needs to change next season if they are to do better.
He explained: “It has been ups and downs. Some wins have felt good. Winning feels good. But we can’t build on that and it has been the story of our season. That is what is difficult. Just to go up and down in your emotions is never a good thing. When you win, it’s happy days. When you lose, it is bad and you are held accountable. You have to take responsibility. It’s just life.
“I think it’s unacceptable that we have lost too many times as defending champions of the Premier League and we shouldn’t accept it whatsoever. There will be a lot of work that has to be done going into next season. When I am back from the World Cup, I will go into it. But there is a lot of work to do be done behind the scenes.”
