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Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing assessment of the club's disappointing title defence, confessing the title holders are in a mess and letting down head coach Slot while doubting whether every player is owning up for the current downturn.

The Dutch defender could not contain his frustration after Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the top-flight standings with a deficit in goals. Tom Werner was in attendance to observe Liverpool’s latest loss in seven league games, their eighth loss in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that fell apart against a opponent that started the day in the relegation zone.

“Unacceptable” Start 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 Sean Dyche’s team the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“There was a great build-up to the match but in a fixture you are facing reality and the facts are we gave away a free-kick in the first half and a poor concession at the beginning after the break,” stated Van Dijk. “As a team, we're certainly failing the manager, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. You look at yourself first and then you support teammates, 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: Take Responsibility

The skipper typically addresses the media after a match as part of his duties as team leader. Saturday was different, however. His voice was more forceful – audible enough that any player in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while urging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” When questioned whether this is occurring, Van Dijk answered: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I expect the boys to do. It’s not easy during difficult times but we must act if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club spent almost £450 million to replenish a championship-winning team in the summer but have regressed, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. The captain insisted that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the new recruits. “It's difficult 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 improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you must join the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman continued: “This season we lack 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 take responsibility 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 all contributed, and during a challenging phase you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“Show character and confront the hardship and persist, again and again because surrendering is not an option then you are at the wrong place in my view, because Liverpool has been enduring 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 Premier League is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the Champions League. Van Dijk commented: “The next game is another opportunity 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.”