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The Liverpool skipper has issued a scathing assessment of Liverpool's woeful championship campaign, admitting the title holders are in disarray and letting down manager Arne Slot while questioning whether every player is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

The Dutch defender could not contain his frustration after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the lower section of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was present at Anfield to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth loss in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that fell apart against a opponent that started the day in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the advantage. Forest’s opener 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 fixture you are facing facts and the facts are we conceded a free-kick in the first half and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” stated Van Dijk. “We are certainly letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. You look at yourself first and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this mess because at the moment it is a difficult situation – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Step Up

Van Dijk usually speaks the media after a match as part of his role as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was much louder – so loud that any player in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the squad to react. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” When questioned whether that is happening, he replied: “I don’t know. But it's essential. It’s the main thing 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.”

Summer Signings and Broader Issues

Liverpool invested almost £450m to strengthen a title-winning squad in the summer but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. The captain insisted that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the recent additions. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for each player to be answerable on the pitch. We have to do that in order to push each other, to improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you must join the press. It’s basic things but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman added: “This season we lack any consistency, we allow far too many goals, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope everyone sees that. It's vital to take responsibility to reverse the situation and tempting to assign blame but you have to do it together. We have been through it together and claimed the title and all contributed, and when you go through 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 if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because this club has been going through many adversity over those years and we’ve always come out of it. However, that doesn't imply it is easy, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”

Looking Ahead

Next up in the Premier League is a visit to London Stadium next weekend, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the European competition. He said: “Wednesday is another game so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I'll return and analyze how we can improve results and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”