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Virgil van Dijk has issued a blunt assessment of Liverpool's woeful championship campaign, confessing the title holders are in disarray and failing manager Arne Slot while doubting whether every player is taking responsibility 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 saw the Reds in the bottom half of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s latest loss in recent outings, their eighth loss in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a display that fell apart against a opponent that began the match in the drop zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Defensive Lapses

The captain described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “unacceptable” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s team the lead. The first goal 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 dealing with reality and the facts are we conceded a set piece in the opening period and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” said the defender. “We are certainly failing the manager, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. You look at yourself first and then you support teammates, you help each other get out of this crisis because at the moment it is a difficult situation – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Step Up

The skipper typically addresses the press after a match as part of his duties as Liverpool captain. This time was distinct, however. He spoke was more forceful – audible enough that any player in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether that is happening, he answered: “I don’t know. But it's essential. It’s the main thing I expect the players 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

The Merseyside club invested almost £450m to replenish a championship-winning team in the off-season but have regressed, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. The captain maintained that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the recent additions. “It’s tough for everyone,” 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 make each other better. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman added: “This season we lack any steady form, we concede excessive scores, we are being out-fought and all share the blame for it and I hope everyone sees that. It's vital to take responsibility to reverse the situation and tempting to point fingers but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and won the league and everyone was part of it, and during 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 surrendering is not an option then you are in the wrong environment in my view, because this club has been going through numerous challenges over recent seasons and we’ve consistently emerged of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, it’s tiring but there is no other way.”

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 said: “Wednesday is another game so how should I respond, go home and cry? No, I'll go home and try to think how we can improve results and I trust that is what everyone is doing as well.”