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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a blunt assessment of Liverpool's woeful championship campaign, confessing the title holders are in disarray and letting down head coach Slot while questioning whether all squad members is owning up for the team’s slump.

The Dutch defender struggled to hold back 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. Tom Werner was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s latest loss in recent outings, their eighth setback in 11 matches across every tournament, and a display that fell apart against a opponent that began the match in the drop zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Set-Piece Woes

The captain described Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as the Forest player gave Sean Dyche’s team the advantage. The first goal was the ninth goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.

“There was a productive build-up to the match but in a fixture you are dealing with facts and the facts are we conceded a free-kick in the opening period and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” stated Van Dijk. “We are definitely 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 crisis because at the present time it is a mess – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

The skipper typically addresses the press after a game as part of his role as team leader. This time was distinct, however. He spoke was much louder – so loud that any teammate in the Anfield tunnel could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the squad to respond. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” Asked whether that is happening, he answered: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. That's crucial I expect the boys to do. It’s not easy during tough periods but we must act if we aim to recover of this.”

Summer Signings and Team Problems

The Merseyside club invested almost £450 million to strengthen a title-winning squad in the off-season but have gone backwards, with new arrivals struggling to contribute so far. The captain maintained that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the new recruits. “It's difficult for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to take responsibility on the field. We have to do that in order to push each other, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you must join the press. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

Van Dijk continued: “This season we don’t have any consistency, we allow far too many goals, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I trust this is recognized. It's vital to take responsibility to turn this around and tempting to assign blame but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and claimed the title and all contributed, and when you go through a tough time you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and go again, again and again because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because Liverpool has been going through many adversity over those years and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is straightforward, it’s exhausting but there is no other way.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the Premier League is a trip to West Ham next weekend, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the Champions League. Van Dijk said: “The next game is another game so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I'll go home and try to think how we can improve results and I trust that is what everyone is doing as well.”