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

The Dutch defender could not contain his frustration 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. Tom Werner was present at Anfield to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across all competitions, and a performance that unravelled against a Forest side that started the day in the drop zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Set-Piece Woes

The captain described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s team the advantage. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the Premier League this season.

“We had a productive build-up to the match but in a fixture you are facing reality and the facts are we gave away a set piece in the first half and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” stated Van Dijk. “We are definitely letting him down, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. Start with self-reflection and then you support teammates, you work together to escape of this crisis because at the moment it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Step Up

The skipper usually speaks the media after a game as part of his duties as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was more forceful – so loud that any player in the Anfield tunnel could listen in – and he shook with anger while challenging the squad to react. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” Asked whether that is happening, Van Dijk replied: “It's unclear. But it's essential. It’s the main thing I expect the players to do. It's challenging during difficult times but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

Liverpool spent almost £450 million to strengthen a title-winning squad in the off-season but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the new recruits. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “What I want is for everyone to be answerable on the field. We have to do that in order to push each other, to make each other better. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the press. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

Van Dijk continued: “In the current term we lack any steady form, we concede far too many goals, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I hope everyone sees that. We have to accept duty to turn this around and tempting to assign blame but unity is essential. We have been through it together and won the league and all contributed, and during a challenging phase you must remain united and avoid blaming others.

“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 in the wrong environment in my eyes, because this club has been going through many adversity 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.”

Next Fixtures

The upcoming match in the domestic league is a visit to London Stadium next Sunday, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the European competition. He 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 hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”