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The Liverpool skipper has issued a scathing assessment of the club's disappointing championship campaign, confessing the title holders are in a mess and failing head coach Slot while doubting whether every player is owning up for the team’s slump.

Van Dijk could not contain his frustration after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the bottom half of the Premier League table with a deficit in goals. The club's chair was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven league games, their eighth loss in eleven fixtures across all competitions, and a performance that fell apart against a opponent that started the day in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the Premier League this season.

“There was a great three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are facing reality and the truth is we conceded a free-kick in the opening period and a poor concession at the beginning after the break,” stated Van Dijk. “We are definitely letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. Start with self-reflection and then you help each other, you help each other get out of this mess because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk usually speaks the media after a match as part of his duties as team leader. This time was distinct, however. He spoke was more forceful – audible enough that any teammate in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while urging the squad to react. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that everyone has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether that is happening, he replied: “It's unclear. But it's essential. It’s the main thing 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

Liverpool invested almost £450 million to replenish a title-winning squad in the off-season but have regressed, with several high-profile signings 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 each player 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 must join the effort. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman added: “This season we lack any consistency, we allow excessive scores, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I trust everyone sees that. 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 won the league and all contributed, and during a tough time you have to stick together and avoid blaming others.

“Show character and face the toughness and go again, again and again because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my view, because Liverpool has been going through numerous challenges over those years 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 weekend, after the midweek visit of PSV in the European competition. Van Dijk commented: “The next game is another game so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? No, I'll return and try to think how we can turn this around and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”