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Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing assessment of the club's woeful title defence, confessing the reigning champions are in disarray and failing manager Arne Slot while doubting whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

Van Dijk could not contain his anger after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the bottom half of the Premier League table with a deficit in goals. Tom Werner was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s latest loss in seven league games, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a display that fell apart against a opponent that started the day in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

The captain described Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as Murillo gave the visitors the lead. The first goal was the ninth goal Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the Premier League this season.

“There was a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are facing reality and the truth is we gave away a free-kick in the first half and a poor concession at the beginning after the break,” stated 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 crisis because at the moment it is a difficult situation – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

The skipper typically addresses the media after a game as part of his role as team leader. Saturday was different, however. His voice was more forceful – audible enough that any player in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he shook with anger while urging the squad to react. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether that is happening, Van Dijk answered: “I don’t know. But it's essential. It’s the main thing I expect the players to do. It’s not easy during tough periods but we must act if we aim to recover of this.”

Summer Signings and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club invested almost £450 million to replenish a championship-winning team in the off-season but have gone backwards, with new arrivals struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the new recruits. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the pitch. 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.”

Appeal to Stick Together

The Dutchman continued: “This season we don’t have any consistency, we concede far too many goals, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I trust this is recognized. We have to accept duty to turn this around and it is easy to assign blame 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 avoid blaming others.

“Show character and confront the hardship and persist, repeatedly because surrendering is not an option then you are at the wrong place in my view, because this club has been enduring numerous challenges over those years and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is straightforward, 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 weekend, after the midweek visit 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 return and try to think how we can turn this around and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”