Virgil van Dijk has opened up on how Liverpool are approaching a critically-important December that will go a long way towards shaping their ambitions for 2024.
The Reds captain says he has no concerns over his fellow Dutch team-mates Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch as they continue their first end-of-year schedule
The visit of Marco Silva's side was the first of a nine-fixture run between December 3 and New Year's Day
It's a period that will determine so much in terms of what might be possible for Liverpool in the second half of the campaign
Van Dijk has lifted the lid on how the team will look to ensure they are as close to 100% as possible for each game
Van Dijk
"[This period] is something we have all accepted over the last couple of years but, you know, it's a tough game today and the conditions were tough for both sides and the next game is already on Wednesday in Sheffield,"
"You are already looking ahead and making sure you are doing the right things. In my case I will get treatment tonight and I will do all the recovery stuff tonight in order to be much fresher tomorrow morning.
"Then we have another recovery session tomorrow, so it is basically: play, recover, sleep well, eat well and be ready for the next game. It's a demanding process but we cannot complain, you know.
"We are very privileged so we don't complain about that but it is very demanding also on your private life and people forget that in some cases but mentally it is very important to be fresh and that is why it is this period that makes it so tough.
"I think we always have the team [analysis] meetings the day before the game but like I said the mode is already on recovery from this and tomorrow we will do this already with an eye on Sheffield United and Tuesday we have a big meeting for that.
"Then we travel on Wednesday to Sheffield and we will be ready for a tough game. They lost on Saturday by big numbers (5-0 at Burnley) so they will want to show a reaction but we want to show we are in a consistent way.
"We made it very difficult for ourselves [against Fulham] but obviously to come back with the goals we scored was obviously a good sign but we should do better.
"But if we win these types of games the way we do now is not a bad thing so we have to take the positives out of it, especially during this busy period that starts now. So we take the positives and now we recover and be ready in a couple of days again."
Van Dijk added:
"Obviously you can give your opinion to them but I think if you have been watching us closely we always rotate, especially a little bit in midfield is doing a lot of work for us.
"It's all the same for them, they have to recover and make sure they are ready for any opportunity that is coming. It will be nothing different to what they are used to. Other than that they will be absolutely fine and be ready for the games.
"I think we could have put the game to bed [earlier] in my opinion. Obviously knowing you still play against a good side but I still think we were a bit too sloppy in possession in the transitions but I am not that kind of guy that wants to look too much to the negative side.
"I think we know what we can improve and what we should do in these games I think but someone told me now that in the last six games against Fulham we have only won two or something? So it's not a bad thing that we still won here today so it's time to take the positives out of it and then move on.
"I've been here now for quite some time and staying calm is quite an important thing. I think we did and obviously the goal Wataru scored was obviously a big one for all of us and the crowd erupted a bit and helped us to keep pushing. Hopefully that can be the case for whenever going forward."
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