🔗 Share this article

The Liverpool skipper has delivered a scathing assessment of the club's woeful championship campaign, admitting the reigning champions 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 Nottingham Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the bottom half of the Premier League table with a deficit in goals. Tom Werner was in attendance to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across all competitions, and a performance that unravelled against a opponent that started the day in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

The captain described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” 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.

“We had a great build-up to the match but in a fixture you are dealing with facts and the truth is we gave away a set piece in the opening period and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” said Van Dijk. “As a team, we're definitely failing the manager, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. Start with self-reflection and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this crisis because at the moment it is a mess – 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 team leader. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was much louder – audible enough that any teammate in the Anfield tunnel could hear him – and he shook with anger while challenging the squad to respond. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” When questioned whether that is happening, he replied: “I don’t know. But it's essential. That's crucial I expect the players to do. It's challenging during difficult times but we have to do it if we aim to recover of this.”

Summer Signings and Team Problems

The Merseyside club spent almost £450m to replenish 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 insisted that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the new recruits. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “What I want is for everyone to be answerable on the pitch. This is necessary 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 they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman continued: “This season we lack any steady form, we allow excessive scores, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I hope this is recognized. We have to accept duty to turn this around and it is easy to point fingers but you have to do it together. Past successes were collective and claimed the title and everyone was part of it, and when you go through a challenging phase you must remain united and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and persist, again and again because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because Liverpool has been going through numerous challenges over those years and we’ve always come out of it. However, that doesn't imply it is easy, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”

Next Fixtures

The upcoming match in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of PSV in the Champions League. He said: “The next game is another game so how should I respond, go home and cry? Certainly not, I’m going to go home and try to think how we can improve results and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”