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Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing evaluation of the club's woeful championship campaign, admitting the reigning champions are in a mess and failing manager Arne Slot while questioning whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the team’s slump.

The Dutch defender struggled to hold back his anger after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the bottom half of the Premier League table 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 all competitions, and a display that fell apart against a opponent that started the day in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

The captain described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “unacceptable” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s team the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“We had a great build-up to the match but in a fixture you are facing reality and the truth is we gave away a free-kick in the first half and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” said Van Dijk. “We are definitely letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. Start with self-reflection and then you support teammates, you help each other get out of this crisis because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

The skipper typically addresses the press after a game as part of his duties as Liverpool captain. This time was distinct, however. He spoke was much louder – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while urging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to take responsibility.” Asked whether that is happening, he answered: “I don’t know. But it's essential. It’s the main thing I want the players to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we have to do it if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club invested almost £450m to strengthen a title-winning squad in the off-season but have gone backwards, with new arrivals struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the new recruits. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to take responsibility on the pitch. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you must join the effort. It’s basic things but they're lacking enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

Van Dijk continued: “In the current term we lack any consistency, we concede far too many goals, we are being out-fought and all share the blame for it and I hope this is recognized. It's vital to take responsibility to turn this around and tempting to point fingers but unity is essential. We have been through it together and won the league and everyone was part of it, and during a challenging phase you must remain united and avoid blaming others.

“Show character and face the toughness and persist, again and again because if you want to give up then you are at the wrong place in my eyes, because Liverpool has been enduring numerous challenges over recent seasons and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is straightforward, it’s exhausting but there is only one path forward.”

Looking Ahead

Next up in the Premier League is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the Champions League. Van Dijk said: “Wednesday is another game so how should I respond, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I’m going to return and try to think how we can turn this around and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”