🔗 Share this article

The Liverpool skipper has delivered a scathing assessment of Liverpool's woeful championship campaign, confessing the reigning champions are in disarray and letting down head coach Slot while doubting whether every player is taking responsibility for the team’s slump.

The Dutch defender could not contain his frustration after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the bottom half of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was present at Anfield to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across all competitions, and a performance that unravelled against a Forest side that began the match in the drop zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Set-Piece Woes

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 goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“There was a productive build-up to the match but in a fixture you are facing facts and the truth is we conceded a set piece in the first half and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” stated the defender. “We are certainly letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. Start with self-reflection and then you help each other, you help each other get out of this crisis because at the present time it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Step Up

Van Dijk typically addresses the media after a game as part of his duties as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. His voice was much louder – audible enough that any player in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he shook with anger while challenging the squad to respond. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” When questioned whether that is happening, he replied: “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 difficult times but we have to do it if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

Liverpool invested almost £450m to replenish a title-winning squad in the off-season but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings struggling to contribute so far. The captain insisted that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the recent additions. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “What I want is for everyone to be answerable on the pitch. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the effort. It’s basic things but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman continued: “In the current term we don’t have any steady form, we allow far too many goals, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I trust everyone sees that. It's vital to accept duty to reverse the situation and tempting to point fingers but you have to do it together. We have been through it together and won the league and everyone was part of it, and during a tough time you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and persist, again and again because if you want to give up then you are at the wrong place in my view, because Liverpool has been enduring numerous challenges over those years and we’ve always come out of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, 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 midweek visit of PSV in the European competition. He commented: “The next game is another opportunity so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? No, I’m going to go home and try to think how we can improve results and I trust that is what everyone is doing as well.”