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Virgil van Dijk has issued a blunt assessment of Liverpool's woeful title defence, admitting the reigning champions are in disarray and failing manager Arne Slot while doubting whether all squad members is owning up for the current downturn.

Van Dijk could not contain his anger after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield by 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 observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback in 11 matches across all competitions, and a performance that fell apart against a opponent that started the day in the drop zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Defensive Lapses

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the Premier League this season.

“There was a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a fixture you are dealing with facts and the truth is we gave away a set piece in the first half and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” stated the defender. “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 help each other get out of this mess because at the moment it is a difficult situation – that’s just a fact.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk usually speaks the press after a match as part of his duties as team leader. This time was distinct, however. His voice was more forceful – so loud that any player in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he shook with anger while urging the dressing room to respond. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” Asked whether this is occurring, he replied: “I don’t know. But it's essential. 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.”

Summer Signings and Team Problems

Liverpool invested almost £450m to strengthen a championship-winning team in the summer but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s problems extend past the recent additions. “It’s tough for everyone,” he said. “My expectation 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. If a teammate presses, you must join the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

The Dutchman continued: “This season we don’t have any steady form, we concede far too many goals, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope everyone sees that. It's vital to accept duty to turn this around and tempting to assign blame but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and won the league and all contributed, and during a challenging phase you have to stick together and avoid blaming others.

“Show character 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 view, because Liverpool has been enduring numerous challenges over those years and we’ve always come out of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the Premier League is a visit to London Stadium next weekend, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the European competition. Van Dijk said: “The next game is another game so how should I respond, 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.”