Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net

View image in fullscreenVan Dijk wants Liverpool to tighten up and backs club to sign reinforcements

‘You defend as a team, you press as a team’

Champions begin defence of title on Friday night

Virgil van Dijk has acknowledged Liverpool must improve defensively to retain the Premier League title and backed the club to bring in more reinforcements before the end of the transfer window.

The Netherlands defender revealed after Sunday’s Community Shield that he had spent the previous five days in bed with a virus.

Van Dijk was culpable for Palace’s first equaliser in the 2-2 draw when he brought down Ismaïla Sarr for a penalty and Liverpool’s defence struggled to contain the Senegal forward, who scored his team’s second to take the game to a shootout won by Palace.

Crystal Palace keen to sell captain Marc Guéhi before transfer window closesRead more

Aside from a 5-0 win against Stoke last month behind closed doors, Liverpool have conceded in all of their pre-season matches and their captain admitted that must be resolved before the opening league fixture at home to Bournemouth on Friday night.

“If it was that simple, I would have told you immediately and we would have fixed it,” Van Dijk said.

They have spent nearly £300m on players.

skip past newsletter promotion

after newsletter promotion

View image in fullscreen

“I’m fully trusting the club to do the right thing,” Van Dijk said.

“What they think is good for the club, we’ll see in the next couple of weeks.”

Liverpool’s ended their last title defence, under Jürgen Klopp in 2020-21, third, 17 points behind the champions, Manchester City.

“It was quite tough the year after we won it,” Van Dijk said.

“We have to put it in our minds that whatever happened last season, happened last season.

“As a team, as a club, it was always going to be a tough season, especially with everything that happened over the summer as well.
For more news relating to Manchester City, visit our sister site City Latest Live.