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The Liverpool skipper has delivered a scathing assessment of the club's disappointing championship campaign, admitting the reigning champions are in a mess and failing head coach Slot while questioning whether every player is taking responsibility for the team’s slump.

Van Dijk could not contain his anger after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven league games, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a display that unravelled against a Forest side that began the match in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

The captain labeled Liverpool’s start to the second half as “unacceptable” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the lead. The first goal was the ninth goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“There was a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are dealing with reality and the facts are we gave away a free-kick in the first half and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” stated the defender. “We are certainly failing the manager, 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 crisis because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that’s just a fact.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

The skipper typically addresses the media after a match as part of his duties as team leader. This time was distinct, however. His voice was much louder – audible enough that any teammate in the Anfield tunnel could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the squad to react. “Anger is justified,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” Asked whether that is happening, Van Dijk replied: “I don’t know. But it's essential. That's crucial I want the players to do. It’s not easy during difficult times but we have to do it if we want to get out of this.”

Summer Signings and Broader Issues

Liverpool invested almost £450 million to strengthen a title-winning squad 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 issues go beyond the new recruits. “It’s tough for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to take responsibility on the field. This is necessary in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. When someone is pressing, you must join the effort. It’s basic things but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman added: “In the current term we don’t have any consistency, we concede excessive scores, we are being out-fought and all share the blame for it and I trust this is recognized. We have to accept duty to reverse the situation and tempting 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 when you go through a tough time you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and face the toughness and persist, repeatedly because surrendering is not an option then you are at the wrong place in my view, because this club has been going through many adversity over those years and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, it’s exhausting but there is no other way.”

Looking Ahead

The upcoming match in the domestic league is a visit to London Stadium next weekend, after the midweek visit of PSV in the Champions League. Van Dijk commented: “Wednesday is another game so what am I going to do, go home and cry? Certainly not, I’m going to go home and analyze how we can turn this around and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”