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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a scathing assessment of the club's disappointing championship campaign, admitting the reigning champions are in a mess and letting down manager Arne Slot while doubting whether every player is taking responsibility 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 saw the Reds in the bottom half of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s latest loss in recent outings, their eighth loss in 11 matches across all competitions, and a performance that unravelled against a Forest side that began the match in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

The captain labeled Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the advantage. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.

“There was a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a fixture you are facing reality and the truth is we gave away a set piece in the first half and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” stated Van Dijk. “We are certainly failing the manager, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. You look at yourself first 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: Step Up

The skipper usually speaks the media after a match as part of his role as Liverpool captain. This time was distinct, however. He spoke was much louder – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while urging the squad to react. “Anger is justified,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” When questioned whether that is happening, he replied: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I want the boys to do. It’s not easy during tough periods but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club invested almost £450 million to replenish a championship-winning team in the summer but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. The captain maintained that Liverpool’s problems extend past the recent additions. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to take responsibility on the field. This is necessary in order to motivate one another, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you must join the press. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk added: “This season we don’t have any consistency, we allow far too many goals, we are being out-fought and all share the blame for it and I trust everyone sees that. We have to take responsibility to turn this around and tempting to assign blame but you have to do it together. Past successes were collective and won the league and everyone was part of it, and during a tough time you must remain united and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and go again, repeatedly because if you want to give up then you are at the wrong place in my view, because Liverpool has been going through many adversity over those years and we’ve consistently emerged of it. However, that doesn't imply it is easy, it’s exhausting but there is no other way.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the domestic 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, go home and cry? No, I'll return and try to think how we can turn this around and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”