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The Liverpool skipper has delivered a scathing assessment of the club's woeful championship campaign, confessing the reigning champions are in a mess and failing manager Arne Slot while doubting whether every player is owning up for the current downturn.

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his frustration 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 deficit in goals. The club's chair was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven league games, their eighth setback in 11 matches across every tournament, and a performance that fell apart against a Forest side that began the match in the relegation zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s team the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the current campaign.

“There was a great build-up to the match but in a game you are facing reality and the facts are we conceded a set piece in the first half and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” stated Van Dijk. “As a team, we're certainly failing the manager, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. Start with self-reflection and then you support teammates, you help each other get out of this mess because at the moment it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Step Up

Van Dijk typically addresses the press after a match as part of his duties as team leader. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was much louder – so loud that any player in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he shook with anger while urging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” Asked whether this is occurring, Van Dijk answered: “It's unclear. But it's essential. That's crucial I want the players to do. It's challenging during difficult times but we have to do it if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club spent 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 problems extend past the new recruits. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the pitch. We have to do that in order to push each other, to improve collectively. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

The Dutchman continued: “In the current term we lack any steady form, we allow far too many goals, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope this is recognized. We have to take responsibility to turn this around and it is easy to assign blame but you have to do it together. Past successes were collective and won the league and everyone was part of it, and when you go through a challenging phase you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and persist, repeatedly because surrendering is not an option then you are at the wrong place in my eyes, because Liverpool has been going through 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.”

Looking Ahead

The upcoming match in the domestic league is a visit to London Stadium next weekend, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the Champions League. He commented: “Wednesday is another opportunity so what am I going to do, go home and cry? No, I'll return and analyze how we can improve results and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”