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The Liverpool skipper has delivered a scathing evaluation of Liverpool's woeful title defence, confessing the reigning champions are in a mess and letting down manager Arne Slot while questioning whether every player is owning up for the current downturn.

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his anger after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the top-flight standings with a deficit in goals. Tom Werner was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth loss in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a display that unravelled against a Forest side that started the day in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk labeled 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. The first goal was the ninth concession Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“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 terrible goal at the start of the second half,” said the defender. “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 mess because at the moment it is a difficult situation – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

The skipper usually speaks the media after a game as part of his role as Liverpool captain. This time was distinct, however. His voice was more forceful – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he shook with anger while challenging the squad to react. “Anger is justified,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether that is happening, he answered: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. That's crucial I expect the players to do. It’s not easy during tough periods but we have to do it if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Team Problems

The Merseyside club invested almost £450 million to strengthen a championship-winning team in the off-season but have gone backwards, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the new recruits. “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 push each other, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you must join the press. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

The Dutchman continued: “In the current term we don’t have any consistency, we concede excessive scores, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I trust everyone sees that. We have to accept duty 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 all contributed, and during a challenging phase you have to stick together and avoid blaming others.

“You have to be a man and face the toughness and persist, repeatedly because surrendering is not an option then you are at the wrong place in my eyes, because this club has been enduring numerous challenges over those years and we’ve always come out of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, it’s exhausting 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 Champions League. Van Dijk commented: “Wednesday is another opportunity so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? No, I'll return and analyze how we can turn this around and I trust that is what everyone is doing as well.”