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The Liverpool skipper has issued a scathing assessment of the club's disappointing title defence, confessing the reigning champions are in a mess and failing manager Arne Slot while doubting whether every player is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

The Dutch defender could not contain his anger after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the bottom half of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth loss in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a performance that fell apart against a opponent that began the match in the relegation zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Set-Piece Woes

The captain labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as Murillo gave the visitors the lead. 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 facts and the truth is we conceded a free-kick in the first half and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” stated Van Dijk. “We are certainly letting him down, 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 moment it is a difficult situation – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

The skipper typically addresses the media after a match as part of his role as Liverpool captain. This time was distinct, however. His voice was more forceful – audible enough that any teammate in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while urging the dressing room to react. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” When questioned whether this is occurring, he replied: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. That's crucial I want 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 Broader Issues

Liverpool invested almost £450 million to replenish a title-winning squad in the off-season but have regressed, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s issues extend past the recent additions. “It's difficult for all involved,” he said. “What I want is for each player to be answerable on the field. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman continued: “In the current term we don’t have any steady form, we allow excessive scores, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I trust this is recognized. We have to take responsibility to turn this around and tempting to assign blame but unity is essential. We have been through it together and won the league and everyone was part of it, and during a tough time you have to stick together and avoid blaming others.

“You have to be a man and face the toughness and go again, again and again because surrendering is not an option then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because this club has been going through many adversity over recent seasons 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

Next up in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next weekend, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the Champions League. He said: “The next game is another opportunity so how should I respond, go home and cry? Certainly not, I'll return and try to think how we can turn this around and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”