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Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing assessment of the club's disappointing championship campaign, admitting the title holders are in a mess and failing manager Arne Slot while questioning whether all squad members is owning up for the team’s slump.

The Dutch defender struggled to hold back his anger after Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the bottom half of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a performance that fell apart against a Forest side that began the match in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “unacceptable” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the Premier League this season.

“We had a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are dealing with reality and the facts are we conceded a free-kick in the first half and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” stated the defender. “We are definitely letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. You look at yourself first and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this mess because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

The skipper usually speaks the media after a game as part of his role as Liverpool captain. This time was distinct, however. His voice was much louder – audible enough that any teammate in the Anfield tunnel could listen in – and he shook with anger while urging the squad to respond. “Anger is justified,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” Asked whether that is happening, he answered: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. That's crucial I expect the boys to do. It's challenging during difficult times but we have to do it if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

Liverpool invested almost £450 million to strengthen a championship-winning team in the summer but have regressed, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s issues extend past the new recruits. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for each player to take responsibility on the pitch. We have to do that in order to push each other, to make each other better. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the press. It’s basic things but they're lacking enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

The Dutchman continued: “In the current term we don’t have any steady form, we concede excessive scores, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I trust this is recognized. It's vital to take responsibility to reverse the situation and tempting to assign blame but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and claimed the title and all contributed, and during a tough time you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“Show character and face the toughness and go again, repeatedly because surrendering is not an option then you are at the wrong place in my view, because Liverpool has been going through numerous challenges over those years and we’ve consistently emerged of it. However, that doesn't imply it is easy, it’s exhausting but there is only one path forward.”

Next Fixtures

The upcoming match in the domestic league is a visit to London Stadium next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of PSV in the Champions League. He said: “The next game is another game so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? No, I’m going to return and analyze how we can improve results and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”