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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a blunt evaluation of Liverpool's woeful championship campaign, admitting the reigning champions are in a mess and failing head coach Slot while questioning 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 heavy loss at Anfield 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 present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that unravelled against a Forest side that began the match in the relegation zone.

“Unacceptable” Start 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 Sean Dyche’s team the lead. The first goal was the ninth concession Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.

“There was a productive build-up to the match but in a game you are dealing with reality and the truth is we gave away a free-kick in the first half and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” said Van Dijk. “We are certainly failing the manager, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. Start with self-reflection and then you support teammates, you help each other get out of this mess because at the present time it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Step Up

Van Dijk usually speaks the media after a match as part of his role as team leader. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was more forceful – audible enough that any teammate in the Anfield tunnel could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while urging the squad to respond. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether that is happening, Van Dijk replied: “It's unclear. 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 want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

Liverpool invested almost £450 million 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 issues extend past the recent additions. “It’s tough for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to take responsibility on the field. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk added: “In the current term we lack any consistency, we concede excessive scores, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope everyone sees that. It's vital to accept duty to turn this around and it is easy to assign blame but you have to do it together. Past successes were collective and claimed the title and all contributed, and during a tough time you must remain united and avoid blaming others.

“You have to be a man and face the toughness and persist, again and again because surrendering is not an option then you are at the wrong place in my eyes, because this club has been enduring many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve always come out of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, it’s tiring but there is no other way.”

Next Fixtures

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. Van Dijk said: “The next game is another game so how should I respond, go home and cry? No, I’m going to go home and analyze how we can improve results and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”