Virgil van Dijk urges Liverpool stars and fans to stick together through what was always going to be a 'difficult season' and tells them not to forget they're champions

Virgil van Dijk has called for Liverpool players and fans to go through the tough times ‘together as one’ and asked them not to forget they are champions after the Reds lost three games on the bounce this week.

The captain was speaking after another bruising defeat at Chelsea that came after disappointing losses at Crystal Palace and Galatasaray. But Van Dijk insists it was always going to be a difficult season after the tragic loss of team-mate Diogo Jota in early July.

Asked how hard the defeat was to take, he said: ‘Very tough. Very tough. It was a quite open game of course, both teams trying to go for the win and to concede like that is obviously not a great feeling, especially going into the international break.

‘Now we have a very tough seven, eight days. It was always going to be a difficult season. I mentioned it from the very start.

'We have to go through this as one, not only us as players but also the staff, and our fans who celebrated being champions, which is something we shouldn't forget.

‘It is a bit ironic that we conceded in two different games at the last minute. There is still plenty of work to do. We know in football, every three or four days, things can change and momentum can change.

‘But we have to work to get there first. The seven, eight days have been tough for all of us but we are the ones, together with the staff and the fans, who can turn this around. I'm confident of that.’

Pressed on what is not clicking, Van Dijk played down suggestions the right back role was an issue and that new signings were not up to speed yet.

He added: ‘It is a combination of everything. It is down to us to work to turn this around and find consistency, to not concede, to score, to create, to not give up chances against us. How we work, it happened all season last year, and everything was positive and everyone was happy.

‘And now we have a little blip, if you want to call it that, and now we need everyone more than ever to support us and be there for us. Like I said, every three or four days is another opportunity, after the international break now, to find momentum and consistency, and keep it.

‘It is about us seeing that perspective as players and staff. I want the fans to also see that perspective as well. But we live in a world where there is so much noise going on and you have to deal with that as well.

‘It is down to us to keep working, find results, stick together, and find confidence.

‘I've been at the club for such a long time, there have been many difficult situations and we got out of them. It's not for everyone to just accept it and move on, but the only thing we can do is focus on the next opportunity we have and work on it.’