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Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool’s priority is now securing a top-five finish and Champions League qualification after a challenging season.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has admitted the club’s ambitions have shifted this season, with securing a top-five finish now the primary objective.
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Writing in the club’s official matchday programme ahead of their clash with Crystal Palace, the Dutch defender acknowledged that the campaign has fallen short of expectations.
Van Dijk conceded that Liverpool’s initial targets have had to be adjusted after a difficult run of form.
According to the centre-back, the focus is now firmly on qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, with no room for complacency in the final stretch of the season.
He stressed that finishing in the top five, enough for Champions League qualification under the current format, has become the minimum requirement.
He said, “This has not been the season we all wanted or envisaged, but the aim now is to make sure that we end it in a positive manner. And that means Champions League qualification. Nothing else will do.
“We welcome Crystal Palace to Anfield knowing that victory would put us in a strong position to secure that top-five place, and there can be no excuses from any of us.
“It’s not the target we had in mind at the start of the season, but it’s what we are fighting for now, so we have to deliver, we have to perform and we have to get the three points.
“I hope you all enjoyed last weekend’s win over Everton. There is no better feeling than winning a Merseyside derby, and especially away from home and in the manner that we did, scoring so late. It felt good and it felt important.
“We know we haven’t given you guys enough to shout about recently, so it was nice to see you all celebrating a big and important victory in the sunshine. Your support, as ever, means the world to each and every one of us, and we always want to repay it with what we do on the pitch.”