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The Liverpool skipper has issued a scathing assessment of the club's disappointing championship campaign, confessing the reigning champions are in disarray and letting down head coach Slot while questioning whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

The Dutch defender struggled to hold back his anger after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham 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 latest loss in recent outings, their eighth loss in eleven fixtures across all competitions, and a display that fell apart against a opponent that started the day in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors 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 great three or four days’ preparation but in a fixture you are facing facts and the facts are we conceded a free-kick in the opening period and a poor concession at the beginning after the break,” stated the defender. “We are certainly letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. Start with self-reflection 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 the reality.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

The skipper usually speaks the press after a game as part of his duties as team leader. Saturday was different, however. His voice was more forceful – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he shook with anger while challenging the squad to react. “Anger is justified,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” When questioned whether this is occurring, he answered: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I want the boys to do. It’s not easy during tough periods but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Summer Signings and Team Problems

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. The captain maintained that Liverpool’s problems extend past the new recruits. “It’s tough for everyone,” he said. “What I want is for each player to be answerable on the pitch. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the press. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk added: “This season we don’t have any consistency, we allow far too many goals, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I trust this is recognized. We have to take responsibility to reverse the situation and it is easy to assign blame but you have to do it together. We have been through it together and won the league and everyone was part of it, and when you go through a tough time you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and persist, repeatedly because surrendering is not an option then you are at the wrong place in my eyes, because Liverpool has been going through many adversity 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 visit to London Stadium next weekend, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the European competition. He said: “Wednesday is another opportunity so what am I going to do, go home and cry? No, I'll go home and try to think how we can turn this around and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”