🔗 Share this article

The Liverpool skipper has delivered a scathing evaluation of the club's woeful title defence, confessing the title holders are in a mess and failing manager Arne Slot while questioning whether every player is owning up for the team’s slump.

The Dutch defender could not contain his frustration after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the bottom half of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven league games, their eighth setback in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that fell apart against a opponent that began the match in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

The captain labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “unacceptable” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as Murillo gave the visitors the advantage. The first goal was the ninth goal Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the current campaign.

“There was a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a fixture you are dealing with reality and the truth is we conceded a set piece in the first half and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” said Van Dijk. “We are 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 present time it is a difficult situation – that's the reality.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk usually speaks the press after a match as part of his role as team leader. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was much louder – so loud that any player in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he shook with anger while challenging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” Asked whether that is happening, he answered: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I expect the boys to do. It’s not easy during tough periods but we have to do it if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

Liverpool invested almost £450m to strengthen a title-winning squad in the off-season but have gone backwards, with new arrivals struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the recent additions. “It's difficult for all involved,” he said. “What I want is for each player to take responsibility on the field. This is necessary in order to push each other, to improve collectively. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the press. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk continued: “In the current term 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 trust everyone sees that. It's vital to accept duty to turn this around and tempting to assign blame but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and won the league and everyone was part of it, and during a challenging phase you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“Show character and face the toughness and persist, again and again because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my view, because Liverpool has been going through numerous challenges over recent seasons and we’ve consistently emerged of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”

Looking Ahead

Next up in the domestic league is a visit to London Stadium next weekend, after the midweek visit of PSV in the European competition. Van Dijk commented: “The next game is another opportunity so how should I respond, go home and cry? Certainly not, I'll go home and try to think how we can improve results and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”