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The Liverpool skipper has issued a scathing assessment of Liverpool's disappointing championship campaign, admitting the title holders are in a mess and failing manager Arne Slot while questioning whether every player is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

Van Dijk could not contain his anger after Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the bottom half of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was in attendance to observe Liverpool’s latest loss in recent outings, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across all competitions, and a performance that fell apart against a opponent that began the match in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s team the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.

“We had a productive build-up to the match but in a fixture you are dealing with reality and the truth is we conceded a set piece in the opening period and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” said Van Dijk. “We are definitely failing the manager, but we’ve disappointed ourselves 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 the reality.

Captain’s Challenge: Step Up

The skipper usually speaks the press after a game as part of his duties as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. His voice was much louder – audible enough that any player in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while urging the squad to respond. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that everyone has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether this is occurring, he answered: “I don’t know. But it's essential. That's crucial I expect the players to do. It's challenging during difficult times but we have to do it if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Team Problems

Liverpool invested almost £450m to replenish a championship-winning team in the off-season but have gone backwards, with new arrivals 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 take responsibility on the field. We have to do that in order to push each other, to improve collectively. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

Van Dijk added: “This season we don’t have any steady form, we concede excessive scores, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I trust this is recognized. It's vital 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 all contributed, and when you go through a challenging phase you have to stick together and avoid blaming others.

“Show character and face the toughness and persist, again and again because surrendering is not an option then you are in the wrong environment in my view, because Liverpool has been going through numerous challenges over those years and we’ve always come out of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, 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 Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the Champions League. He commented: “Wednesday is another game so how should I respond, dwell on the loss? No, I’m going to go home and analyze how we can turn this around and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”