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The Liverpool skipper has issued a blunt evaluation of Liverpool's disappointing championship campaign, confessing the reigning champions are in disarray and letting down manager Arne Slot while questioning whether every player is owning up for the team’s slump.

The Dutch defender could not contain his anger after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield 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 present at Anfield to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth loss in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a performance that fell apart against a Forest side that started the day in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

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 lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“We had a productive build-up to the match but in a game you are dealing with reality and the truth is we gave away a set piece in the first half and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” stated Van Dijk. “As a team, we're definitely letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. Start with self-reflection and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this crisis because at the present time it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk typically addresses the media after a game 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 urging the squad to react. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that each individual has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether that is happening, he replied: “It's unclear. But it's essential. That's crucial I expect the boys to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we have to do it if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

Liverpool invested almost £450m to strengthen a title-winning squad in the off-season but have gone backwards, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. The captain insisted that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the recent additions. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the field. This is necessary in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the press. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk continued: “This season we don’t have any consistency, we allow excessive scores, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I hope everyone sees that. We have to accept duty to reverse the situation and it is easy to assign blame but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and claimed the title and everyone was part of it, and during a tough time you must remain united and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and face the toughness and go again, repeatedly 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 always come out of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, it’s exhausting but there is no other way.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the domestic league is a visit to London Stadium next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of PSV in the European competition. Van Dijk said: “The next game is another game so how should I respond, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I'll return and try to think how we can improve results and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”