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The Liverpool skipper has delivered a scathing evaluation of Liverpool's woeful championship campaign, admitting the title holders are in a mess and letting down manager Arne Slot while questioning whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the team’s slump.

The Dutch defender could not contain his anger after Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat by Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the bottom half of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s latest loss in seven league games, their eighth loss in 11 matches across every tournament, and a performance that unravelled against a opponent that started the day in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave Sean Dyche’s team the advantage. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“There was a productive build-up to the match but in a game you are facing facts and the truth is we conceded a set piece in the first half and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” stated Van Dijk. “We are certainly failing the manager, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. Start with self-reflection and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this crisis because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that’s just a fact.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk typically addresses the media after a game as part of his role as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. His voice was more forceful – so loud that any player in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the squad to react. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” Asked whether this is occurring, he answered: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. That's crucial I expect the boys to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we must act if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Team Problems

The Merseyside club spent almost £450 million to strengthen a championship-winning team in the off-season but have regressed, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact 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 each player to be answerable on the pitch. We have to do that in order to push each other, to improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the effort. It’s basic things but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman continued: “In the current term we don’t have any steady form, we allow far too many goals, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I hope everyone sees that. It's vital to take responsibility to turn this around and tempting to point fingers but you have to do it together. Past successes were collective and won the league and all contributed, and during a challenging phase you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and face the toughness and persist, repeatedly because surrendering is not an option then you are in the wrong environment 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 easy, it’s exhausting but there is no other way.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the Premier League is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of PSV in the European competition. Van Dijk said: “Wednesday is another opportunity so what am I going to do, go home and cry? No, I'll go home and analyze how we can improve results and I trust that is what everyone is doing as well.”