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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a blunt assessment of Liverpool's disappointing title defence, confessing the title holders are in a mess and letting down manager Arne Slot while questioning whether all squad members is owning up for the current downturn.

The Dutch defender struggled to hold back his frustration after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the bottom half of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth loss in 11 matches across all competitions, and a performance that fell apart against a Forest side that began the match in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

The captain described Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “unacceptable” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s team the advantage. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.

“There was a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a fixture you are facing reality and the truth is we conceded a set piece in the first half and a poor concession at the beginning after the break,” said the defender. “We are definitely failing the manager, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. You look at yourself first and then you help each other, you help each other get out of this crisis because at the moment it is a mess – that's the reality.

Captain’s Challenge: Step Up

Van Dijk usually speaks the media after a game as part of his role as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. His voice was more forceful – so loud that any player in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he shook with anger while challenging the dressing room to react. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to take responsibility.” Asked whether that is happening, he replied: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. That's crucial I want the boys to do. It’s not easy during tough periods but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Summer Signings and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club invested almost £450 million to replenish a championship-winning team in the summer but have regressed, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. The captain insisted that Liverpool’s problems extend past 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 make each other better. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the press. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk added: “This season we don’t have any consistency, we allow far too many goals, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I trust this is recognized. We have to take responsibility to reverse the situation and tempting to assign blame but unity is essential. We have been through it together and claimed the title and everyone was part of it, and during a tough time you have to stick together and avoid blaming others.

“Show character and confront the hardship and persist, repeatedly because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my view, because Liverpool has been going through numerous challenges over recent seasons and we’ve always come out of it. But it doesn’t mean it is straightforward, it’s exhausting but there is no other way.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the European competition. He commented: “Wednesday is another opportunity so what am I going to do, go home and cry? Certainly not, I'll go home and analyze how we can improve results and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”