After Sunday's defeat at Manchester United Virgil van Dijk was asked about the perception aired on social media that Liverpool's training schedule has been light. The Reds' captain defended the suggestion that his side have had too many days off.
The players had one day off in the week leading up to the Manchester United game and are scheduled to have one day off this week before they play Chelsea on Saturday.
When it was put to Van Dijk that some of his team-mates went on holiday last week, the Liverpool defender said: "I'm not sure it's a holiday. It's a city trip. But I think if you have one day off, and you don't have many days off, they decide what they want to do with their families. We are not kids. Everyone is an adult.
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"I wish we had a couple more days off at times because I think it works both ways. You see Pep Guardiola giving [Manchester] City three days off the last weeks in a row and they are doing pretty well. It is finding the right balance.
"I can understand if people think we are not training and when results are not there it could be a reason for why we are not getting results."
Liverpool sit fourth in the table and are 18 points behind leaders Arsenal.
"Like anyone else, personally I want this to be solved," Van Dijk said. "I want us to experience what I have had over my time here. I want us to be successful. I want to be consistent with the team, winning games, fighting. We want to get the job done.
"At the minute, we are just disappointed. Consistency is the most difficult thing in any job you do. But it is also the best way to be successful and get results. We have three more games, then the World Cup. We have to realise that next season, this season cannot be repeated. It is unacceptable."
