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Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing evaluation of the club's disappointing championship campaign, admitting the title holders are in a mess and letting down head coach Slot while questioning whether every player is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

The Dutch defender struggled to hold back his frustration after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by 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 in attendance to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth loss in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a display that fell apart against a Forest side that began the match in the drop zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Defensive Lapses

Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave Sean Dyche’s team the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the current campaign.

“We had a productive build-up to the match but in a fixture you are dealing with reality and the facts are we gave away a set piece in the first half and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” stated the defender. “We are 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 crisis because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that’s just a fact.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Step Up

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 Anfield tunnel could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while urging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” When questioned whether that is happening, Van Dijk replied: “It's unclear. But it's essential. That's crucial I expect the boys to do. It’s not easy during tough periods but we have to do it if we want to get out of this.”

Summer Signings and Broader Issues

Liverpool spent almost £450m to strengthen a championship-winning team in the summer but have gone backwards, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the new recruits. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “What I want is for each player to take responsibility 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 effort. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman added: “This season we lack any consistency, we concede excessive scores, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I hope everyone sees that. It's vital to take responsibility to reverse the situation and it is easy to assign blame but you have to do it together. Past successes were collective and won the league and all contributed, and when you go through a tough time you must remain united and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and go again, again and again because surrendering is not an option then you are at the wrong place in my view, because Liverpool has been going through numerous challenges over those years and we’ve consistently emerged of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, it’s tiring but there is no other way.”

Looking Ahead

The upcoming match in the Premier League is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the midweek visit of PSV in the European competition. He said: “The next game is another opportunity so how should I respond, go home and cry? No, I'll go home and analyze how we can turn this around and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”