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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a scathing assessment of the club's woeful championship campaign, confessing the title holders are in a mess and failing head coach Slot while doubting whether all squad members is owning up for the current downturn.

Van Dijk could not contain his frustration after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the top-flight standings with a deficit in goals. Tom Werner was in attendance to observe Liverpool’s latest loss in recent outings, their eighth loss in 11 matches across every tournament, and a performance that unravelled against a Forest side that started the day in the drop zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Defensive Lapses

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “unacceptable” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the lead. The first goal was the ninth goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“There was a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are facing facts and the truth is we gave away a set piece in the first half and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” said the defender. “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 moment it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

The skipper usually speaks the press after a game as part of his role as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. His voice was more forceful – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while urging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that each individual has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether that is happening, Van Dijk replied: “It's unclear. But it's essential. It’s the main thing I want the boys to do. It's challenging during difficult times but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Summer Signings and Team Problems

The Merseyside club invested almost £450 million to strengthen a championship-winning team in the off-season but have regressed, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the recent additions. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “What I want is for everyone to take responsibility on the pitch. We have to do that in order to push each other, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman continued: “This season we don’t have any steady form, we concede far too many goals, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I hope everyone sees that. It's vital to accept duty to turn this around and it is easy to assign blame 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.

“Show character and face the toughness and persist, again and again because if you want to give up then you are at the wrong place in my eyes, because Liverpool has been going through many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve always come out of it. But it doesn’t mean it is straightforward, it’s exhausting but there is no other way.”

Looking Ahead

Next up in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of PSV in the Champions League. He commented: “The next game is another game so how should I respond, go home and cry? No, I'll return and try to think how we can turn this around and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”