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The Liverpool skipper has delivered a blunt evaluation of the club's disappointing championship campaign, confessing the title holders are in a mess and failing head coach Slot while questioning whether every player is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

The Dutch defender struggled to hold back his frustration after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the bottom half of the top-flight standings with a deficit in goals. Tom Werner was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s latest loss 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 drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

The captain described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the current campaign.

“We had a great three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are facing facts and the facts are we gave away a set piece in the first half and a poor concession at the beginning after the break,” stated the defender. “As a team, we're certainly failing the manager, 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 crisis because at the present time it is a mess – that's the reality.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk usually speaks the press after a match as part of his duties as team leader. Saturday was different, however. His voice was much louder – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he shook with anger while urging the squad to respond. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” When questioned whether that is happening, he answered: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I want the players to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we must act if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Team Problems

The Merseyside club spent almost £450 million to strengthen a title-winning squad in the off-season but have regressed, with several high-profile signings struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the new recruits. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “What I want is for each player to take responsibility on the field. This is necessary in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you must join the effort. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

The Dutchman continued: “This season we lack any steady form, we concede far too many goals, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope everyone sees that. We have to take responsibility to turn this around and tempting to assign blame but unity is essential. We have been through it together and won the league and everyone was part of it, and during a challenging phase you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“Show character and confront the hardship and persist, again and again because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because this club has been enduring many adversity 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 Premier League is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the Champions League. He said: “Wednesday is another opportunity so what am I going to do, go home and cry? Certainly not, I’m going to go home and try to think how we can improve results and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”