Wayne Rooney has told Virgil van Dijk Liverpool have ‘to get on with it’ and dismissed the Dutchman’s complaints over having to face an early kick-off on Saturday following their Merseyside derby defeat.
Liverpool’s title hopes were dealt a major blow at Goodison Park with Jarrad Branthwaite and Dominic Calvert-Lewin on target as Everton earned a 2-0 win on Wednesday night.
The defeat leaves the Reds three points behind leaders Arsenal with four matches remaining, starting with a trip to West Ham on Saturday lunchtime.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Van Dijk warned Liverpool faced an uphill battle to get ready for the 12:30pm kick-off at the London Stadium.
‘It’s time to focus on the 12:30 kick-off again,’ he said.
‘These games are always a big fight and something that we shouldn’t have lost in my opinion. Now we have to pick ourselves up and be ready for an early kick-off Saturday.’
But Rooney insisted Liverpool had to ‘get on with it’ after repeated complaints this season over the kick-off time following a midweek match.
‘Again we are hearing about 12:30 kick-offs,’ he said.
‘Those Liverpool players should be wanting to go tomorrow because when you lose a derby game you want the games to come quick.
‘Get on with it, it’s part of your jobs.’
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has previously complained about the number of lunchtime matches his side have had this season in comparison to rivals.
After the international break in November, Klopp slammed the decision to reschedule Liverpool’s visit to Manchester City from 5:30pm to the early kick-off slot.
‘How can you put a game like this on Saturday at 12.30pm?,’ he said.
‘Honestly, the people making these decisions, they cannot feel football, it is just not possible.
‘And it is the moment where the world pays the most to see a football game.’
Saturday’s fixture will be Liverpool’s fifth 12:30 kick-off of the season, with Klopp previously highlighting the challenge posed after midweek matches or players returning from international duty.
Van Dijk also conceded Liverpool’s already slim chances of winning the title would evaporate altogether with a repeat of the performance at Goodison Park.
The Reds have now won just one of their last four Premier League outings, drawing at Old Trafford against Manchester United and losing at home to Crystal Palace over the past month.
‘Listen, very disappointed in so many ways and I think everyone has to look in the mirror and look at their own performances and if they really gave everything and do they really want to win the league,’ Van Dijk told Sky Sports.
‘We are fighting and still have games after tonight, but if we play like we did overall in the game like today, not winning challenges and giving the ref an opportunity to give free-kicks like he did many times, then we have no chance to win the title.
‘It’s a tough one and obviously we have to do much better against a side who is [fighting] against relegation
