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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a scathing assessment of Liverpool's woeful title defence, admitting the title holders are in a mess and failing head coach Slot while doubting whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

Van Dijk could not contain his frustration after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the Premier League table with a deficit in goals. Tom Werner was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s latest loss in seven league games, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a performance that fell apart against a opponent that started the day in the drop zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “unacceptable” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s team the advantage. The first goal was the ninth concession 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 game you are facing reality and the facts are we gave away a set piece in the first half and a poor concession at the beginning after the break,” stated the defender. “As a team, we're definitely letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. Start with self-reflection and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this crisis because at the moment it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk typically addresses the press after a match as part of his role as team leader. Saturday was different, however. His voice was more forceful – audible enough that any teammate in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he shook with anger while urging the dressing room to respond. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that everyone has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether that is happening, Van Dijk replied: “It's unclear. But it's essential. That's crucial I want the boys to do. It's challenging during difficult times but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Team Problems

Liverpool invested almost £450m to strengthen a title-winning squad in the summer but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings struggling to contribute so far. The captain insisted that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the recent additions. “It's difficult for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for each player to take responsibility on the pitch. This is necessary in order to motivate one another, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the press. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk added: “In the current term we don’t have any consistency, we allow excessive scores, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope this is recognized. It's vital to accept duty to reverse the situation and tempting to point fingers but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and claimed the title and everyone was part of it, and during a challenging phase you must remain united and avoid blaming others.

“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 eyes, because this club has been enduring many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve always come out of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, 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 Sunday, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the Champions League. He said: “Wednesday is another game so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I’m going to return and try to think how we can improve results and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”