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The Liverpool skipper has issued a blunt evaluation of Liverpool's woeful title defence, confessing the title holders are in a mess and letting down manager Arne Slot while questioning whether every player is owning up for the current downturn.

Van Dijk could not contain his anger after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the bottom half 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 loss in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a performance that unravelled against a opponent that started the day in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

The captain labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime 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 allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“We had a great three or four days’ preparation but in a fixture you are facing facts and the truth is we gave away a set piece in the opening period and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” stated Van Dijk. “As a team, we're definitely failing the manager, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. You look at yourself first and then you help each other, you help each other get out of this mess because at the present time it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Step Up

The skipper usually speaks the media 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 Anfield tunnel could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while urging the dressing room to respond. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” When questioned whether that is happening, Van Dijk replied: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. That's crucial I expect the boys to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we have to do it if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club spent almost £450m to replenish a championship-winning team in the off-season but have regressed, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. The captain maintained that Liverpool’s issues extend past the recent additions. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for each player to be answerable on the pitch. This is necessary in order to push each other, to make each other better. When someone is pressing, you must join the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

The Dutchman continued: “In the current term we lack any consistency, we concede excessive scores, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I trust this is recognized. It's vital to take responsibility to reverse the situation and tempting to point fingers but you have to do it together. Past successes were collective and won the league and all contributed, and when you go through a tough time you must remain united and not point fingers.

“Show character and face the toughness and persist, again and again because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because Liverpool has been enduring many adversity over those years and we’ve always come out of it. But it doesn’t mean it is straightforward, it’s exhausting but there is only one path forward.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the European competition. Van Dijk said: “The next game is another game so how should I respond, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I'll go home and analyze how we can turn this around and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”