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

The Dutch defender struggled to hold back his frustration after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the bottom half of the Premier League table with a deficit in goals. Tom Werner was in attendance to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven league games, their eighth setback in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that unravelled against a Forest side that started the day in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as Murillo gave the visitors the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.

“We had a great three or four days’ preparation but in a fixture you are dealing with reality and the facts are we gave away a set piece in the first half and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” stated the defender. “We are certainly letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. You look at yourself first and then you support teammates, you work together to escape of this mess because at the moment it is a mess – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Step Up

The skipper typically addresses the press after a match as part of his role as team leader. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was much louder – audible enough that any player in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he shook with anger while urging the squad to respond. “Anger is justified,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” When questioned whether this is occurring, he replied: “I don’t know. But it's essential. That's crucial I want the players to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we have to do it if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Team Problems

The Merseyside club spent almost £450m to replenish a title-winning squad in the summer but have regressed, with new arrivals struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the recent additions. “It’s tough for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to take responsibility on the pitch. This is necessary in order to push each other, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the effort. It’s basic things but they're lacking enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

The Dutchman continued: “This season we don’t have any steady form, we allow excessive scores, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I trust this is recognized. It's vital to accept duty to turn this around and tempting to assign blame but unity is essential. We have been through it together and claimed the title and everyone was part of it, and during a challenging phase you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“Show character and face the toughness and go again, again and again because surrendering is not an option then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because Liverpool has been going through many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve consistently emerged of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, it’s tiring but there is no other way.”

Looking Ahead

The upcoming match in the Premier League is a visit to London Stadium next Sunday, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the European competition. He commented: “The next game is another opportunity so how should I respond, go home and cry? Certainly not, I'll return and analyze how we can improve results and I trust that is what everyone is doing as well.”