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The Liverpool skipper has issued a scathing assessment of the club's disappointing title defence, confessing the title holders are in disarray and letting down manager Arne Slot while doubting whether every player is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

Van Dijk struggled to hold back 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 deficit in goals. Tom Werner was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven league games, their eighth setback in 11 matches across all competitions, and a performance that unravelled against a Forest side that began the match in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s start to the second half as “unacceptable” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the advantage. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the current campaign.

“We had a great build-up to the match but in a game you are dealing with reality and the truth is we gave away a set piece in the first half and a poor concession at the beginning after the break,” stated the defender. “We are certainly 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 the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Step Up

Van Dijk usually speaks the media after a match as part of his role as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. His voice was more forceful – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while urging the squad to respond. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that everyone 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 players to do. It’s not easy 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 replenish a championship-winning team in the summer but have regressed, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s issues extend past the recent additions. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “What I want is for each player to be answerable on the pitch. This is necessary in order to push each other, to improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you must join the press. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

Van Dijk continued: “This season we don’t have any steady form, we concede far too many goals, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope this is recognized. We have to accept duty to turn this around and tempting to point fingers but you have to do it together. Past successes were collective and claimed the title and all contributed, and during a tough time you must remain united and avoid blaming others.

“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 view, because this club has been going through many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve always come out of it. But it doesn’t mean it is straightforward, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next weekend, after the Champions League fixture 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? Certainly not, I'll go home and analyze how we can turn this around and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”