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The Liverpool skipper has delivered a blunt assessment of the club's woeful championship campaign, admitting the title holders are in a mess and letting down head coach Slot while doubting whether every player is taking responsibility for the team’s slump.

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his frustration after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the bottom half of the Premier League table with a deficit in goals. The club's chair was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s latest loss in seven league games, their eighth loss in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that unravelled against a Forest side that started the day in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

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. The first goal was the ninth concession Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.

“We had a great 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 opening period and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” stated Van Dijk. “As a team, we're definitely failing the manager, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. You look at yourself first and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this mess because at the moment it is a mess – that's the reality.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk typically addresses the press after a match as part of his role as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. His voice was much louder – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while urging the squad to react. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” Asked whether this is occurring, Van Dijk answered: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. That's crucial I expect the boys to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Team Problems

Liverpool spent almost £450m to strengthen a championship-winning team in the off-season but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings struggling to contribute so far. The captain 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 motivate one another, to make each other better. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the press. It’s basic things but they're lacking enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

Van Dijk added: “This season we don’t have any steady form, we allow excessive scores, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope this is recognized. We have to accept duty 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 during a tough time you must remain united and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and persist, again and again because surrendering is not an option then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because Liverpool has been enduring many adversity over those years and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”

Looking Ahead

The upcoming match in the Premier League is a visit to London Stadium next weekend, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the European competition. He commented: “The next game is another opportunity so what am I going to do, go home and cry? Certainly not, I'll return and analyze how we can turn this around and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”