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Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing evaluation of Liverpool's disappointing championship campaign, confessing the title holders are in a mess and failing manager Arne Slot while doubting whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the team’s slump.

The Dutch defender struggled to hold back his anger after Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat by Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the lower section of the Premier League table with a deficit in goals. The club's chair was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s latest loss in seven league games, their eighth loss in 11 matches across every tournament, and a display that fell apart against a opponent that started the day in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

The captain described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as Murillo gave the visitors the advantage. The first goal was the ninth goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.

“We had a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a fixture you are facing reality and the truth is we conceded a free-kick in the first half and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” said Van Dijk. “As a team, we're definitely letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. Start with self-reflection and then you support teammates, you work together to escape of this mess because at the present time it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk typically addresses the press after a game as part of his role as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was much louder – audible enough that any teammate in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he shook with anger while challenging the dressing room to respond. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that each individual has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether that is happening, Van Dijk replied: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I expect the players to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we have to do it if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club invested almost £450 million to strengthen a title-winning squad in the summer but have regressed, with new arrivals struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the recent additions. “It's difficult for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the field. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. When someone is pressing, you must join the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

The Dutchman added: “This season we lack any consistency, we concede far too many goals, we are being out-fought and all share the blame 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 when you go through a tough time you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“Show character and confront the hardship and go again, repeatedly because surrendering is not an option then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because Liverpool has been going through numerous challenges 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 only one path forward.”

Next Fixtures

The upcoming match in the Premier League is a visit to London Stadium next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of PSV in the European competition. He said: “The next game is another opportunity so how should I respond, go home and cry? Certainly not, I’m going to go home and try to think how we can improve results and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”