Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk tells ‘unacceptable’ team-mates ‘don’t even think about the title’ and to ‘look in the mirror’ because they have no fight in a remarkable blast at Jurgen Klopp’s flops

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk insists his team do not deserve to win the league after their meek surrender in the Merseyside Derby defeat, with the Dutchman saying the players cannot accept how they are letting their season end.

Everton were deserved 2-0 winners at Goodison Park, their first defeat over Liverpool at home since 2010 and just Jurgen Klopp’s second loss overall in the fixture. The Reds were poor at both ends of the pitch and have now all but conceded the Premier League title.

And Van Dijk has come out swinging by saying his team have not shown enough fight to give Klopp a fairytale ending to his nearly nine years at Anfield. ‘Games like these, the bare minimum is fight,’ said the defender.

‘We were lacking that at so many moments – small challenges, some passes that were not clear so we came into challenges that they won and they got momentum out of it. They were having I don’t know how many set pieces. That could make a difference because it’s a strength of theirs.

‘But we have to look in the mirror and each and every one of us has to think like, “Listen, you can’t accept this, you can’t accept the way we let our season end, if you play like we did today, you don’t deserve to win the league”.

He believes Liverpool do not deserve to win the league following their ‘unacceptable’ display

Van Dijk called for Jurgen Klopp’s flops to take a look at themselves in the mirror as he accused them of lacking fight

‘So now it’s time to recovery and pick ourselves up again because we have to do it for ourselves, the club and the fans. It’s not only that you go out there and play your game, you have to do much more than that.

‘If we play like today and let it slip like today then you shouldn’t even think about (the title). It’s a mix of everything. You can’t put a finger on it, confidence, inexperience, challenges, maybe afraid to make mistakes in this part of the season. We can’t accept this.

‘We kept doing our thing (all season) – playing games, finding ways to win, even with red cards, even with last-minute winners. We kept doing that and that’s our big credit. But now it’s crunch time and we’ve not been good enough in the way we finished the chances off.

‘(That’s) in the way we defended together and also the fight. I think we have to show much more. What I’ve said already, everyone has to look in the mirror, come back tomorrow and we can’t let the season end like this.’

Van Dijk added that Liverpool seem to have run out of steam and ideas – but he is ready to pick himself back up and inspire the group to improve. ‘In the second half we ran out of steam and ideas but it’s difficult to say because we have to be a unit,’ he said.

Van Dijk admitted Liverpool appear to have run out of steam at a crucial point in the season, and has urged the team to bounce back and finish the campaign strongly

‘We had talks with the team and everyone is agreeing but on match day, that’s where it counts. It’s a disappointing night for all of us and we have to look at ourselves and can’t accept this, turn around and finish on as much as we can.

‘We can’t have groups who are blaming each other because that’s not how it works. It’s a team thing and I don’t blame anyone. I blame us as a team, as a group, and we have to much better. It starts with defending and like always, starts from the front and goes to the back.

‘I’ve been through many things in life and I will pick myself up and the team. That’s the responsibility I have. It will be fine. On Thursday we’re going to be back (at the training ground), we have a meeting together and show the reaction against West Ham (on Saturday).

‘Obviously when we have a bad result, we always speak about showing a reaction but now we can’t just accept it. We can’t just accept the fact that we’re going to let the season go by like this. It’s just disappointing.’