Programme notesVirgil van Dijk: The weeks and months ahead are an opportunity for real consistency

A busy period of fixtures gets under way with a Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest at Anfield.

Arne Slot's men will be seeking a positive response to their defeat by Manchester City a fortnight ago and a springboard into a packed schedule over the next three weeks and then into the winter months.

Writing in the matchday programme, Van Dijk acknowledges the need for improvement - but insists he has every faith it can be delivered.

"You only need to look at the fixture schedule to recognise how important the next few weeks and months are," says the captain. "From now until March we will play every three or four days, pretty much, meaning we need to be extremely focused, extremely committed and ready to rest, recover and go again very quickly.

"What it also means, however, is that there is a great opportunity to show some real consistency, to put some results and performances together and to make real progress, both domestically and in Europe. That is absolutely our aim, and it starts on Saturday.

"We know that we will be facing a team, in Nottingham Forest, that is coming with a lot of motivation, and that will try to make life as difficult as possible for us. They won at Anfield last season, albeit under a different manager, and we know that we will need to be on it from the first minute, given the strength and the quality that they possess.

"We went into the recent international period with mixed emotions, I would say. Disappointment, for sure, at the manner in which we lost at Manchester City, but also encouragement at what came before that, with important, hard-fought and deserved victories over both Aston Villa and Real Madrid.

"We don't shy away from the truth at this club. We know that there is improvement to be found in our performance levels, and we know that the only way to find that improvement is through hard work and togetherness.

"I have said many times that I believe in the quality and the character of this squad, but we have to show it where it matters, which is out there on the field.

"Anfield, always, is a special place for us, and I think we showed in the Villa and Madrid games what can be achieved when everyone – players and supporters – works together. The atmosphere for both of those games was amazing, and I'd love to feel something similar on Saturday afternoon. I want this place rocking every time we play here.

"Like I say, we know what lies ahead over the next few months, but for now our focus must be on the next game only. We fight for the win, we fight for the three points and we go from there.

"The hard work starts here. Bring it on."

• Get your copy of the programme online here or at Anfield on Saturday