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Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing assessment of Liverpool's disappointing championship campaign, confessing the reigning champions are in a mess and failing manager Arne Slot while questioning whether all squad members is owning up for the team’s slump.

Van Dijk could not contain his frustration after Saturday’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 deficit in goals. Tom Werner was present at Anfield to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven league games, their eighth setback in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that unravelled against a Forest side that started the day in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

The captain labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as Murillo gave the visitors the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“We had a great build-up to the match but in a game you are facing facts and the truth is we gave away a set piece in the opening period and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” stated the defender. “We are certainly letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. Start with self-reflection and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this mess because at the moment it is a mess – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Step Up

Van Dijk usually speaks the media after a game as part of his role as team leader. This time was distinct, however. His voice was much louder – audible enough that any player in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while urging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that each individual has to take responsibility.” Asked whether that is happening, Van Dijk replied: “It's unclear. But it's essential. That's crucial I want the players to do. It's challenging during difficult times but we must act if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

Liverpool spent almost £450 million to strengthen a championship-winning team in the off-season but have regressed, with new arrivals struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the recent additions. “It's difficult for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the pitch. This is necessary in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the press. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk continued: “This season 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. We have to take responsibility to reverse the situation and tempting to point fingers but you have to do it together. We have been through it together and claimed the title and all contributed, and when you go through a tough time you have to stick together and avoid blaming others.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and go again, again and again because surrendering is not an option then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because Liverpool has been going through numerous challenges over those years and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is straightforward, it’s exhausting but there is only one path forward.”

Next Fixtures

The upcoming match in the domestic league is a visit to London Stadium next weekend, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the Champions League. He commented: “The next game is another opportunity so how should I respond, go home and cry? Certainly not, I'll go home and try to think how we can turn this around and I trust that is what everyone is doing as well.”