🔗 Share this article

The Liverpool skipper has issued a scathing assessment of Liverpool's woeful championship campaign, admitting the title holders are in disarray and letting down manager Arne Slot while questioning whether every player is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his frustration after Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat by Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the lower section of the Premier League table with a deficit in goals. The club's chair 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 relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

The captain labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the advantage. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the current campaign.

“There was a productive build-up to the match but in a game you are dealing with facts and the truth is we gave away a free-kick in the first half and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” said the defender. “We are definitely failing the manager, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. Start with self-reflection and then you help each other, you help each other get out of this crisis because at the moment it is a difficult situation – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Step Up

Van Dijk typically addresses the media after a match as part of his duties as team leader. Saturday was different, however. His voice was more forceful – so loud that any teammate in the Anfield tunnel could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while urging the dressing room to respond. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” When questioned whether this is occurring, he answered: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. That's crucial I want 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 strengthen a title-winning squad in the summer but have regressed, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. The captain maintained that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the new recruits. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for each player to be answerable on the field. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

The Dutchman continued: “This season we lack any steady form, we allow excessive scores, we are being out-fought and all share the blame for it and I trust everyone sees that. It's vital to take responsibility to reverse the situation and tempting to point fingers but unity is essential. We have been through it together and won the league and all contributed, and when you go through a tough time you have to stick together and avoid blaming others.

“You have to be a man and face the toughness and go again, again and again 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 those years and we’ve always come out of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”

Looking Ahead

The upcoming match in the Premier League is a trip to West Ham next weekend, after the Champions League fixture of PSV in the Champions League. Van Dijk commented: “The next game is another opportunity so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I’m going to return and try to think how we can turn this around and I trust that is what everyone is doing as well.”