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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a blunt assessment of Liverpool's woeful title defence, confessing the title holders are in a mess and failing head coach Slot while doubting whether every player is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

The Dutch defender could not contain his frustration after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the lower section of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was in attendance to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a performance that fell apart against a opponent that began the match in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “unacceptable” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the advantage. The first goal was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the Premier League this season.

“There was a great three or four days’ preparation 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 poor concession at the start of the second half,” said the defender. “We are definitely failing the manager, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. Start with self-reflection and then you support teammates, you work together to escape of this mess because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Step Up

Van Dijk usually speaks the media after a game as part of his duties as team leader. Saturday was different, however. His voice was more forceful – audible enough that any player in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he shook with anger while urging the squad to respond. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” Asked whether this is occurring, he answered: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I expect the boys to do. It’s not easy during tough periods but we have to do it if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club invested almost £450m to replenish a title-winning squad in the off-season but have regressed, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. The captain insisted that Liverpool’s issues extend past the new recruits. “It’s tough for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for each player to take responsibility on the field. This is necessary in order to motivate one another, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the press. It’s basic things but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman added: “In the current term we don’t have any steady form, we concede far too many goals, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope everyone sees that. It's vital 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 during 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 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 no other way.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the Premier League is a visit to London Stadium next Sunday, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the Champions League. He said: “The next game is another opportunity so what am I going to do, go home and cry? Certainly not, I'll go home and try to think how we can improve results and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”