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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a blunt assessment of the club's woeful title defence, confessing the reigning champions are in disarray and letting down manager Arne Slot while questioning whether every player is owning up for the team’s slump.

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his frustration after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the Premier League table with a deficit in goals. The club's chair was present at Anfield to witness Liverpool’s latest loss in seven league games, their eighth setback in 11 matches across every tournament, and a display that unravelled against a Forest side that started the day in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “unacceptable” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave Sean Dyche’s team the advantage. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“We had a great build-up to the match but in a game you are facing reality and the truth is we conceded a free-kick in the first half and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” said Van Dijk. “We are certainly failing the manager, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. Start with self-reflection and then you support teammates, you work together to escape of this crisis because at the present time it is a mess – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Step Up

The skipper typically addresses the press after a match as part of his role as team leader. Saturday was different, however. His voice was much louder – so loud that any player in the Anfield tunnel could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the squad to react. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” When questioned whether that is happening, he replied: “It's unclear. But it's essential. That's crucial I expect the players to do. It’s not easy during difficult times but we must act if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Team Problems

Liverpool spent almost £450 million to strengthen a championship-winning team in the summer but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the recent additions. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the field. We have to do that in order to push each other, to make each other better. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk added: “This season we don’t have any steady form, we allow far too many goals, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I hope this is recognized. It's vital to accept duty to turn this around and it is easy to point fingers 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 tough time you must remain united and not point fingers.

“Show character and confront the hardship and go again, again and again because if you want to give up then you are at the wrong place in my eyes, because this club has been enduring many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, it’s exhausting 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 midweek visit of PSV in the Champions League. He said: “Wednesday is another opportunity so how should I respond, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I'll return and analyze how we can turn this around and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”