Virgil van Dijk has urged the forwards of Liverpool to exhibit greater ruthlessness following the club’s lackluster performances against Luton Town and Toulouse.

The Reds welcome Brentford to Anfield on Sunday, following a shocking midweek loss to Toulouse; that defeat came mere days after they narrowly escaped with a point at Kenilworth Road against one of the struggling sides in the Premier League.

Notwithstanding those outcomes, Liverpool have had a prosperous beginning to the 2023/24 season due to astute acquisitions during the summer transfer market. Van Dijk, much like Jurgen Klopp, is enthusiastic about the potential of Liverpool 2.0, but he is adamant that the team, which is still finding its footing, has much more to offer.

Van Dijk evaluated the start to the season in the programme notes preceding Sunday’s match against Brentford, writing, “There are undoubtedly areas for improvement, both individually and collectively, but this is completely normal, especially after undergoing so many changes in the summer.”

He further stated, “More than anything else, we have demonstrated that we are all in this together.” While there have been challenging circumstances and games that nearly eluded us, we have consistently managed to secure favorable outcomes. This is an aspect that we can undoubtedly further develop in the future.

After a lackluster week away from home, the Dutchman, who was appointed Liverpool captain in the summer, shifted his focus to the Reds’ forwards, urging them to demonstrate their ruthlessness.

“Undoubtedly, we must be more ruthless with the opportunities we generate. There exist certain commendable aspects that you wish to retain, while others have not yet attained the requisite quality; therefore, we shall persist in our endeavors, strive to implement the necessary enhancements, and do our utmost for this club.

Liverpool enter Sunday’s match with the knowledge that, contingent on Manchester City’s outcome, a victory could potentially tie them for the Premier League lead with Arsenal, pending the latter’s own result.

In contrast to Van Dijk’s desire for Liverpool’s forwards to be more ruthless against Brentford, Klopp urged his squad to exhibit greater “aggression” over the weekend in response to their loss in France.

Following the loss to Toulouse, he stated, “We cannot tolerate what transpired in Toulouse. Our level of aggression was insufficient. Brentford will visit Anfield, and they will be physical; therefore, we must be prepared. It is my intention that we gain insight from this. It is possible for us to lose a game. However, we must put it to good use by learning the right things.”