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Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing assessment of Liverpool's woeful championship campaign, confessing the title holders are in a mess and letting down head coach Slot while questioning whether every player is owning up for the team’s slump.

Van Dijk 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 deficit in goals. 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 display that unravelled against a Forest side that began the match in the relegation zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Set-Piece Woes

The captain described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the advantage. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“We had 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,” stated Van Dijk. “As a team, we're definitely failing the manager, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. You look at yourself first and then you support teammates, you work together to escape of this crisis because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Step Up

The skipper usually speaks the press after a match as part of his role as team leader. This time was distinct, however. He spoke was much louder – audible enough that any teammate in the Anfield tunnel could hear him – and he shook with anger while challenging 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, Van Dijk replied: “I don’t know. But it's essential. That's crucial I expect the boys to do. It’s not easy during difficult times but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club invested almost £450 million to replenish a championship-winning team in the off-season but have regressed, with several high-profile signings struggling to contribute so far. The captain maintained that Liverpool’s issues extend past the new recruits. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “What I want is for each player to be answerable on the pitch. This is necessary in order to motivate one another, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you must join the effort. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

Van Dijk continued: “In the current term we lack any consistency, 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 turn this around and it is easy to point fingers but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and won the league and everyone was part of it, and during a challenging phase you have to stick together and avoid blaming others.

“Show character and confront the hardship and persist, repeatedly because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because Liverpool has been enduring numerous challenges over recent seasons and we’ve always come out of it. But it doesn’t mean it is straightforward, it’s exhausting but there is only one path forward.”

Looking Ahead

Next up in the Premier League is a visit to London Stadium next weekend, after the midweek visit of PSV in the Champions League. Van Dijk said: “The next game 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 the collective focus as well.”