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Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing assessment of the club's disappointing championship campaign, admitting the title holders are in a mess and failing manager Arne Slot while doubting whether every player is owning up for the current downturn.

The Dutch defender struggled to hold back his anger after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the lower section of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback in 11 matches across every tournament, and a display that fell apart against a Forest side that began the match in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “unacceptable” 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 Premier League this season.

“There was a great build-up to the match but in a fixture you are dealing with reality and the truth is we gave away a set piece in the opening period and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” stated Van Dijk. “We are definitely failing the manager, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. Start with self-reflection and then you support teammates, you work together to escape of this mess because at the moment it is a difficult situation – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk usually speaks the media after a match as part of his role as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. His voice was more forceful – audible enough that any player in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the dressing room to respond. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” When questioned whether this is occurring, Van Dijk replied: “I don’t know. But it's essential. That's crucial I expect the players to do. It's challenging during difficult times but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Summer Signings and Broader Issues

Liverpool spent almost £450 million to strengthen a title-winning squad in the off-season but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s issues extend past the recent additions. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “What I want is for everyone to be answerable on the pitch. We have to do that in order to push each other, to improve collectively. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the press. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk added: “In the current term we don’t have any steady form, we allow excessive scores, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope this is recognized. We have to take responsibility to reverse the situation and tempting to assign blame but unity is essential. We have been through it together and won the league and everyone was part of it, and when you go through a tough time you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“Show character and face the toughness and persist, again and again because surrendering is not an option then you are at the wrong place in my view, because Liverpool has been going through many adversity over those years and we’ve always come out of it. However, that doesn't imply it is easy, it’s exhausting but there is only one path forward.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next weekend, after the Champions League fixture of PSV in the Champions League. Van Dijk commented: “Wednesday is another game so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? No, I’m going to return and analyze how we can improve results and I trust that is what everyone is doing as well.”