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The Liverpool skipper has issued a blunt assessment of the club's disappointing title defence, confessing the title holders are in a mess and letting down manager Arne Slot while questioning whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his anger after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was in attendance to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that fell apart against a Forest side that started the day in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the lead. The first goal was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the Premier League this season.

“There was a productive build-up to the match but in a fixture you are dealing with facts and the facts are we gave away a free-kick in the first half and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” stated 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 help each other, you work together to escape of this crisis because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that’s just a fact.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk usually speaks the media after a match as part of his role as Liverpool captain. This time was distinct, however. His voice was much louder – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he shook with anger while challenging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” When questioned whether that is happening, he answered: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. That's crucial I want the players to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club invested almost £450 million to replenish a championship-winning team in the summer but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s problems 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 have to follow the effort. It’s basic things but it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

The Dutchman continued: “In the current term we don’t have any steady form, we allow far too many goals, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope this is recognized. It's vital to accept duty to reverse the situation and tempting to point fingers but you have to do it together. Past successes were collective and won the league and everyone was part of it, and during a tough time you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and persist, 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 enduring numerous challenges over those years 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.”

Next Fixtures

The upcoming match in the Premier League is a trip to West Ham next weekend, after the midweek visit of PSV in the Champions League. He commented: “Wednesday is another opportunity so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I’m going to return and analyze how we can turn this around and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”