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Virgil van Dijk has issued a blunt evaluation of the club's disappointing title defence, confessing the reigning champions are in a mess and failing head coach Slot while questioning whether every player is taking responsibility for the team’s slump.

Van Dijk could not contain his anger after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the lower section of the Premier League table with a deficit in goals. Tom Werner was present at Anfield 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 started the day in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

The captain described Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “unacceptable” and admitted “anxiety set 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 Premier League this season.

“There was a productive build-up to the match but in a fixture you are dealing with reality and the truth is we conceded a set piece in the opening period and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” said Van Dijk. “As a team, we're certainly letting him down, but we’ve disappointed ourselves 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 just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

The skipper usually speaks the press after a match as part of his duties as team leader. This time was distinct, however. He spoke was much louder – audible enough that any player in the Anfield tunnel could listen in – and he shook with anger while challenging the squad to react. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” When questioned whether this is occurring, he replied: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. That's crucial I expect the boys to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we must act if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

Liverpool invested almost £450 million to strengthen a championship-winning team in the summer but have regressed, with new arrivals struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s issues extend past the recent additions. “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 push each other, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you must join the effort. It’s basic things but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman added: “In the current term we lack any steady form, we concede excessive scores, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I trust everyone sees that. We have to accept duty to turn this around and tempting to point fingers but you have to do it together. Past successes were collective and won the league and all contributed, and during a challenging phase you have to stick together and avoid blaming others.

“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 in the wrong environment in my view, because this club 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 no other way.”

Looking Ahead

The upcoming match in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next weekend, after the Champions League fixture of PSV in the European competition. He said: “The next game is another game so what am I going to do, go home and cry? Certainly not, I'll go home and try to think how we can turn this around and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”