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Virgil van Dijk has issued a blunt assessment of Liverpool's woeful championship campaign, admitting the reigning champions are in a mess and failing manager Arne Slot while doubting whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the team’s slump.

Van Dijk could not contain his frustration after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the lower section of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven league games, their eighth loss in 11 matches across all competitions, and a performance that unravelled against a Forest side that began the match in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

The captain labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “unacceptable” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the lead. The first goal was the ninth goal Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the Premier League this season.

“There was a great build-up to the match but in a game you are facing reality and the facts are we conceded a set piece in the opening period and a poor concession 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 present time it is a mess – that's the reality.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

The skipper typically addresses the press after a match as part of his duties as team leader. Saturday was different, however. His voice was much louder – audible enough that any teammate in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” Asked whether that is happening, he answered: “I don’t know. 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.”

Summer Signings and Broader Issues

Liverpool spent almost £450 million to strengthen a title-winning squad in the summer but have regressed, with new arrivals struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the recent additions. “It's difficult for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for each player to be answerable on the pitch. We have to do that 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.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman added: “This season we don’t have any consistency, we allow excessive scores, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I trust everyone sees that. It's vital to take responsibility to turn this around and it is easy to assign blame but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and won the league and everyone was part of it, and when you go through a challenging phase you must remain united and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and go again, again and again because if you want to give up then you are at the wrong place in my eyes, because this club has been going through numerous challenges over recent seasons 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.”

Looking Ahead

The upcoming match in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next weekend, after the midweek visit of PSV in the European competition. Van Dijk said: “The next game is another opportunity so what am I going to do, go home and cry? Certainly not, I'll return and analyze how we can turn this around and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”