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Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing assessment of the club's woeful title defence, admitting the title holders are in disarray and letting down manager Arne Slot while questioning whether all squad members is owning up for the current downturn.

Van Dijk could not contain his anger after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the lower section of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was present at Anfield to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven league games, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across all competitions, and a display that fell apart against a Forest side that started the day in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s team the advantage. The first goal was the ninth goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“We had a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are facing facts and the facts are we conceded a free-kick in the opening period and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” stated the defender. “As a team, we're certainly failing the manager, 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 mess – that’s just a fact.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk typically addresses the media after a match as part of his duties as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was more forceful – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he shook with anger while challenging the dressing room to react. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether this is occurring, he replied: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I want the players to do. It’s not easy during difficult times but we have to do it if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club invested almost £450m to replenish a championship-winning team in the off-season but have regressed, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. The captain insisted that Liverpool’s problems extend past the new recruits. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the field. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman continued: “In the current term we lack any consistency, we allow excessive scores, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I trust this is recognized. We have to accept duty to turn this around and tempting to point fingers but you have to do it together. We have been through it together and claimed the title and everyone was part of it, and when you go through a tough time you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and face the toughness and go again, repeatedly because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because this club has been going through many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the Premier League is a visit to London Stadium next Sunday, after the midweek visit of PSV in the Champions League. He said: “Wednesday is another game so how should I respond, go home and cry? Certainly not, I’m going to return and analyze how we can improve results and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”