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Virgil van Dijk has bemoaned Liverpool's lack of consistency this season, citing the 7-0 win against Manchester United as a notable example.
The Reds demolished the Red Devils by a seven-goal margin in the Premier League on March 5. However, they lost the next game, against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, 1-0 six days later.
A lack of consistent results is the root cause behind Jurgen Klopp's men missing out on the top four this season. They finished fifth, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League. Van Dijk said:
"It was a shock that it was not constant enough as a team this year. You can only come out of it by dealing with it, inside and outside the pitch. I think I was able to do that well, with help from my wife and people at the club. I’m happy with that.
He added:
"To give an example, against United we won 7-0, but then the next game at Bournemouth you lose 1-0. That’s just very frustrating. Then you look for answers and your form. It went too much with ups and downs, but that’s also part of an athlete’s life..."
Before April, Liverpool did not win more than three consecutive games across competitions in regulation time this season. They embarked on a spectacular seven-game winning run in the Premier League towards the end of the season.
However, they drew their last two league games, ensuring that Newcastle United finished fourth in the table. Van Dijk, 31, had a season to forget himself. He was notably inconsistent towards the start of the campaign, making uncharacteristic errors and seemed shaky at the back.
Liverpool urged to consider sending Fabio Carvalho to Fulham
Fabio Carvalho's performances for Fulham saw Liverpool fork out a fee of £7.7 million in add-ons to sign him last summer.
However, the Portuguese playmaker has had a tough time since leaving the Cottagers after an eight-year stay. He has garnered just 341 minutes in the Premier League with Liverpool, scoring twice.
According to journalist Dean Jones, a loan move back to Fulham could benefit the player in the long run, telling GiveMeSport:
"If he was to go out on loan in the Premier League, the most sensible thing to do is to loan him to a club that has already been able to get the best out of him, which would be Fulham."
Carvalho, 20, still has a long way to go before he starts to unfurl his potential. He can play down the flanks, as a No. 10, and in central midfield - a position where Reds manager Jurgen Klopp played him several times this campaign.
