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Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing evaluation of the club's woeful title defence, admitting the title holders are in a mess and letting down manager Arne Slot while doubting whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the team’s slump.

The Dutch defender could not contain his frustration after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was present at Anfield to witness Liverpool’s latest loss in recent outings, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across all competitions, and a display that fell apart against a opponent that started the day in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half 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 Murillo gave the visitors the lead. The first goal was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the current campaign.

“There was a productive build-up to the match but in a fixture you are facing reality 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 Van Dijk. “As a team, we're definitely 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 crisis 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 media after a game as part of his duties as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was more forceful – so loud that any player in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the squad to respond. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” Asked whether that is happening, 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 aim to recover of this.”

Summer Signings and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club spent almost £450m to strengthen a championship-winning team in the off-season but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the new recruits. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to take responsibility on the pitch. This is necessary in order to push each other, 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

Van Dijk added: “This season we lack any consistency, we allow excessive scores, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I trust everyone sees that. We have to accept duty to reverse the situation and it is easy to point fingers but you have to do it together. Past successes were collective and claimed the title and everyone was part of it, and when you go through a tough time you must remain united and avoid blaming others.

“Show character and face the toughness and go again, repeatedly because if you want to give up then you are at the wrong place in my view, because Liverpool has been enduring numerous challenges over those years and we’ve always come out of it. However, that doesn't imply it is easy, it’s exhausting but there is only one path forward.”

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 European competition. He said: “The next game is another opportunity so how should I respond, dwell on the loss? No, I'll return and analyze how we can improve results and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”