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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a blunt evaluation of the club's woeful championship campaign, admitting the title holders are in disarray and letting down manager Arne Slot while questioning whether every player is owning up for the current downturn.

The Dutch defender could not contain his frustration after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was in attendance to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth loss in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that unravelled against a opponent that began the match in the drop zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Defensive Lapses

Van Dijk labeled 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 allowed from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.

“We had a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are facing facts and the facts are we gave away a free-kick in the first half and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” said Van Dijk. “As a team, we're certainly letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. Start with self-reflection and then you support teammates, you work together to escape of this mess because at the present time it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

The skipper usually speaks the media after a match as part of his duties as team leader. Saturday was different, however. His voice was much louder – so loud that any teammate in the Anfield tunnel could listen in – and he shook with anger while challenging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether this is occurring, he replied: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. That's crucial I want the players to do. It’s not easy during difficult times but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Team Problems

Liverpool invested almost £450 million to strengthen a title-winning squad in the summer but have regressed, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. The captain maintained that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the new recruits. “It's difficult for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the field. This is necessary in order to motivate one another, to make each other better. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

The Dutchman added: “In the current term we lack any consistency, we concede excessive scores, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I trust this is recognized. It's vital to take responsibility to reverse the situation and it is easy to point fingers but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and won the league and everyone was part of it, and during a challenging phase you must remain united and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and face the toughness and persist, repeatedly because surrendering is not an option then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because this club has been enduring many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is straightforward, it’s exhausting but there is no other way.”

Looking Ahead

The upcoming match in the Premier League is a trip to West Ham next weekend, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the Champions League. He commented: “Wednesday is another opportunity so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I'll return and try to think how we can improve results and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”