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The Liverpool skipper has delivered a blunt assessment of Liverpool's woeful championship campaign, admitting the title holders are in a mess and letting down head coach Slot while questioning whether every player is taking responsibility for the team’s slump.

The Dutch defender could not contain his frustration after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham 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 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that unravelled against a Forest side that began the match in the drop zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Defensive Lapses

The captain described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “unacceptable” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s team the advantage. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal 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 facts and the truth is we gave away a free-kick in the opening period and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” said Van Dijk. “As a team, we're certainly 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 moment it is a mess – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

The skipper usually speaks the press 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 Anfield tunnel could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while urging the squad to respond. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that each individual has to take responsibility.” Asked whether this is occurring, he replied: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I want the players to do. It’s not easy during tough periods but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Summer Signings and Team Problems

Liverpool spent almost £450m 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 problems go beyond the new recruits. “It’s tough for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for each player to take responsibility on the field. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the press. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

Van Dijk continued: “In the current term we don’t have any consistency, we concede excessive scores, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I trust this is recognized. It's vital to take responsibility to turn this around and it is easy to assign blame but you have to do it together. We have been through it together and won the league and all contributed, and when you go through a challenging phase 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 enduring 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

Next up 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. Van Dijk commented: “Wednesday is another opportunity so how should I respond, go home and cry? No, I'll go home and analyze how we can turn this around and I trust that is what everyone is doing as well.”