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Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing evaluation of the club's woeful title defence, admitting the reigning champions are in a mess and letting down head coach Slot while doubting whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his frustration 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 negative goal difference. The club's chair was present at Anfield to witness Liverpool’s latest loss in seven league games, their eighth loss in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a display that unravelled against a Forest side that started the day in the drop zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Defensive Lapses

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “unacceptable” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the Premier League this season.

“There was a great three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are dealing with reality and the truth is we gave away a free-kick in the opening period and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” stated the defender. “As a team, we're definitely letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. You look at yourself first and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this mess because at the moment it is a difficult situation – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Step Up

Van Dijk typically addresses the media after a match as part of his role as team leader. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was much louder – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the dressing room to respond. “Anger is justified,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” When questioned whether this is occurring, Van Dijk replied: “I don’t know. But it's essential. That's crucial I expect the boys to do. It's challenging during difficult times but we have to do it if we want to get out of this.”

Summer Signings and Team Problems

Liverpool invested almost £450m to strengthen a title-winning squad in the off-season but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s issues extend past the new recruits. “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 make each other better. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

Van Dijk added: “This season we don’t have any steady form, we concede excessive scores, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I hope this is recognized. We have to take responsibility to reverse the situation and it is easy to assign blame but unity is essential. We have been through it together and won the league and all contributed, and when you go through a challenging phase you must remain united and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and face the toughness and persist, repeatedly because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my view, because Liverpool has been enduring many adversity over those years and we’ve always come out of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, it’s exhausting but there is only one path forward.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the Premier League is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the midweek visit of PSV in the European competition. Van Dijk commented: “Wednesday is another game so how should I respond, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I'll return and analyze how we can turn this around and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”