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The Liverpool skipper has delivered a scathing evaluation of Liverpool's disappointing championship campaign, admitting the reigning champions are in disarray and failing manager Arne Slot while questioning whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

Van Dijk could not contain his frustration after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the bottom half of the top-flight standings with a deficit in goals. The club's chair was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a display that unravelled against a opponent that started the day in the relegation zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as the Forest player gave Sean Dyche’s team the lead. The first goal 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 game you are facing reality and the facts are we gave away a free-kick in the first half and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” said Van Dijk. “We are definitely failing the manager, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. You look at yourself first and then you support teammates, you help each other get out of this mess because at the moment it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk usually speaks the press after a match as part of his duties as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was more forceful – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while urging the dressing room to react. “Anger is justified,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” Asked whether this is occurring, he replied: “I don’t know. But it's essential. It’s the main thing I expect the boys to do. It’s not easy during difficult times but we must act if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club invested almost £450 million to replenish a title-winning squad in the summer but have gone backwards, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. The captain maintained that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the recent additions. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the field. We have to do that in order to push each other, to improve collectively. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman continued: “In the current term we don’t have any steady form, 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 unity is essential. Past successes were collective and won the league and all contributed, and when you go through a challenging phase you must remain united and not point fingers.

“Show character and confront the hardship and go again, again and again because surrendering is not an option then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because this club has been enduring numerous challenges over recent seasons 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.”

Looking Ahead

The upcoming match in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the European competition. Van Dijk commented: “Wednesday is another opportunity so what am I going to do, go home and cry? No, I'll return and try to think how we can turn this around and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”