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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a blunt assessment of the club's woeful championship campaign, admitting the reigning champions are in disarray and failing manager Arne Slot while questioning whether all squad members is owning up for the team’s slump.

The Dutch defender could not contain his anger after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the top-flight standings with a deficit in goals. The club's chair was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s latest loss in seven league games, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across all competitions, and a display that unravelled against a opponent that started the day in the drop zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as Murillo gave the visitors the lead. The first goal was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the Premier League this season.

“There was a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a fixture you are dealing with reality and the truth is we conceded a free-kick in the first half and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” said the defender. “As a team, we're definitely letting him down, but we’ve disappointed ourselves 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.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Step Up

Van Dijk usually speaks the press after a game as part of his duties as team leader. Saturday was different, however. His voice was more forceful – so loud that any player in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the squad to react. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” When questioned whether this is occurring, Van Dijk replied: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. That's crucial I want the boys to do. It’s not easy during difficult times but we must act if we aim to recover of this.”

Summer Signings and Team Problems

Liverpool invested almost £450 million to strengthen a championship-winning team in the summer but have regressed, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s problems extend past the new recruits. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “What I want is for everyone to be answerable on the field. This is necessary in order to push each other, to improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you must join the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

Van Dijk continued: “This season we lack any steady form, we allow excessive scores, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I trust everyone sees that. It's vital to accept duty to turn this around and tempting to assign blame but you have to do it together. Past successes were collective and won the league and everyone was part of it, and during a challenging phase you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and face the toughness and persist, again and again because if you want to give up then you are at the wrong place in my view, because Liverpool has been enduring many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve always come out of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, 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 PSV in the Champions League. He commented: “Wednesday is another game so what am I going to do, go home and cry? No, I’m going to return and try to think how we can improve results and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”