Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says he has paid little attention to how their Premier League title rivals have done over the festive period.
After going top of the table with a win at Burnley on Boxing Day, manager Jurgen Klopp afforded the players the luxury of two days off in a five-day spell with no game before Monday’s visit of Newcastle.
In that time, newly crowned Club World Cup champions Manchester City won twice, at Everton and home to Sheffield United, while Arsenal lost against West Ham.
View this post on Instagram
“We’ve had a couple of days to spend with our families before we focus on another big game on New Year’s Day,” Van Dijk said.
Asked if he paid any attention to their rivals, he said: “Not at all. I didn’t even watch football. I was spending time with my family. We’ve been away so much recently.”
On the title race, he continued: “I don’t speak about winning the league at this point. I don’t think anyone in this team will do that because we know from experience that anything can happen.
“What we are striving for is consistency and just winning the game ahead of us, which has been key to our success previously.”
The Dutchman partnered the impressive 20-year-old Jarell Quansah in central defence at Turf Moor but Klopp’s rotation policy is likely to see Ibrahima Konate return to face Newcastle on Monday evening.
Van Dijk has been impressed by Quansah in his breakthrough season, in which he has already made 14 appearances.
That has eased some of the pressure caused by Joel Matip’s ACL injury which is likely to rule him out for the remainder of the campaign and would have left Klopp with just three centre-backs.
“I think every challenge which came his way so far he has dealt with it outstandingly in my opinion,” the Netherlands captain said.
“He’s 20 years old and is still growing. As a centre-half you get better with experience and I was never this far as Ibou (Konate) and Jarell when I was that young, doing it consistently.
“He just has to keep going as there are going to be times when it is going to be tough and that’s absolutely normal and it’s how you deal with it.
“He’s learning and he’s a good boy and mentally in the right frame of mind and that’s a good start. I’ll be there for him whenever he needs but at the end of the day he will be just fine.”
Quansah’s self-confidence was evident in a television interview he did after the Europa League game against USG in which he sympathised with Matip’s situation but said his plan was always to get ahead of the 32-year-old in the pecking order.
“I think it came across not in the right way but it’s good that he thinks like this,” Van Dijk said.
“I don’t think he meant it in that way. Still, when I was 20 maybe I would say these sort of things but I totally understand where he is coming from.
“But he should not forget what Joel has meant for this club and the success we had.”
Carragher: Moyes leaving West Ham 'a great decision for everybody'
West Ham's call to part ways with David Moyes at the end of the campaign is "a great decision for everybody", so says Jamie Carragher.
The Hammers confirmed on Monday that Moyes, who took over for a second stint in charge in late 2019, would not be extending his contract with the club.
That news came amid reports that West Ham, who have also been in talks with Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim, had agreed terms with former Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui.
West Ham lost 5-0 to Chelsea on Sunday, and with just two Premier League matches left of 2023-24, their hopes of European qualification are all but over.
Moyes led West Ham to the Europa Conference League title last season, and the quarter-finals of this term's Europa League, but they came up against Xabi Alonso's impeccable Bayer Leverkusen side.
And with some sections of the club's fanbase having grown tired of Moyes' tactical approach, Carragher feels it is the right time for the 61-year-old to move on.
"I think it's a great decision for everybody," Carragher said during Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.
"I think what it does now is it gives the West Ham fans a chance in the next home game to really send him off with the salute that he thoroughly deserves.
'You've got to go back to 1980 under John Lyall, when they won the FA Cup. You think about how long ago that is, Moyes has been West Ham's best manager.
"To win a European trophy is pretty special and he deserved that for his managerial career, not just what he has done at West Ham. He's been a top Premier League manager.
"I think it's right all round. I can understand some of the frustration with the style of football, I get that, but results-wise he's done a brilliant job for West Ham."
West Ham face Luton Town in what will be Moyes' final home match in charge, before they round off their season against Manchester City on May 19.
Moyes to leave West Ham at end of season
West Ham have confirmed that David Moyes will leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires.
It comes after reports on Monday that former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui agreed a deal to take over from the Scot.
Moyes, who has overseen 260 games so far during his two spells with the club, guided West Ham to their first European trophy since 1965 when they beat Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final in 2023.
In a club statement, Moyes said: “I have enjoyed four and a half brilliant years at West Ham, and the club is in a stronger position than when I returned back in 2019.
“When I joined West Ham for a second time, the club was one place above the relegation zone, and it has been a terrific journey to have achieved three consecutive seasons in Europe.
“I would like to thank all the players for their support, and all the success they have achieved over the last four and a half years.
“I have really enjoyed working with everyone at West Ham, and I would like to thank the Board for giving me the opportunity to manage this great club.
“I wish my eventual successor, the directors, the players, the staff, the fans, and everybody at West Ham, all the very best for the future.”
This season, Moyes has come under increasing pressure after a poor run of form, including a 5-0 thrashing by Chelsea on Sunday.
However, after saving West Ham from relegation in both stints at the club, first between November 2017 and May 2018 and then from November 2019, Moyes has overseen three successive European campaigns.
With two games left of the campaign, Moyes boasts a record of 111 from his 260 matches, with a win percentage of 44.7 per cent in all competitions over both spells in charge.
Ten Hag hits back at Mourinho dig over Man United board backing
Erik ten Hag has hit back at Jose Mourinho after the former Manchester United manager said he did not get the same level of support as the Dutchman.
Mourinho, who spent two and a half years in charge of United, suggested in an interview with the Telegraph that he did not have the same backing in the transfer market, or the same level of "trust" instilled in him as Ten Hag.
The former Ajax manager recently spoke to Sky Sports about failing to sign stars like Harry Kane, with the club instead choosing to invest in younger players with potential, like Rasmus Hojlund.
Ten Hag is facing an uncertain future at the club with just one year left on his contract following a disappointing second campaign. New co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has given no guarantees that he will keep his post next season.
Now, Ten Hag has responded to Mourinho’s claims, stating that the Portuguese coach was the only manager after Alex Ferguson to be given backing by the board.
Speaking to ESPN Brazil, Ten Hag said: "Apart from Mourinho, the manager didn't get the players they wanted, and that is what you need.
"I am confident we will achieve our goals, but it is a tough competition. It is not a two-horse race anymore.
"There are seven, eight [teams in the Premier League] who all go for the title, who all have very good squads. So if you want to go to the title, you have to construct that squad."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
