🔗 Share this article

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

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his anger after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the bottom half of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was present at Anfield to witness Liverpool’s latest loss in seven league games, their eighth setback in 11 matches across every tournament, and a performance that unravelled against a opponent that started the day in the drop zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Defensive Lapses

The captain labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” 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 current campaign.

“There was a great three or four days’ preparation but in a game 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 beginning after the break,” said the defender. “We are definitely failing the manager, 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 mess because at the present time it is a mess – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Step Up

Van Dijk typically addresses the press after a game as part of his role as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was more forceful – audible enough that any player in the Anfield tunnel could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while urging the squad to react. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” When questioned whether that is happening, Van Dijk replied: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I want the boys to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we have to do it if we aim to recover of this.”

Summer Signings and Broader Issues

Liverpool invested almost £450 million to replenish a championship-winning team in the off-season but have regressed, with several high-profile signings struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the new recruits. “It’s tough for everyone,” he said. “What I want is for everyone to be answerable on the pitch. This is necessary 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

Van Dijk added: “In the current term we lack any consistency, we allow far too many goals, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I hope everyone sees that. We have to accept duty to turn this around and tempting to point fingers but you have to do it together. We have been through it together and won the league and all contributed, 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 in the wrong environment in my view, because Liverpool has been enduring numerous challenges over recent seasons and we’ve always come out of it. However, that doesn't imply it is easy, it’s tiring but there is no other way.”

Looking Ahead

The upcoming match in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the Champions League. Van Dijk commented: “Wednesday is another opportunity so how should I respond, dwell on the loss? No, I'll go home and analyze how we can improve results and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”