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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a scathing evaluation of the club's woeful championship campaign, confessing the title holders are in disarray and letting down head coach Slot while questioning whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the team’s slump.

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his frustration after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was in attendance to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback in 11 matches across all competitions, and a performance that unravelled against a opponent that started the day in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” 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 current campaign.

“We had a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are dealing with reality and the truth is we conceded a free-kick in the opening period and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” said Van Dijk. “As a team, we're 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: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk usually speaks the media after a game as part of his duties as Liverpool captain. This time was distinct, however. His voice was much louder – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the squad to respond. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that everyone has to take responsibility.” Asked whether this is occurring, he answered: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I want the boys to do. It's challenging during difficult times but we must act if we aim to recover of this.”

Summer Signings and Team Problems

Liverpool spent almost £450 million to strengthen a championship-winning team in the off-season but have regressed, with several high-profile signings struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s issues extend past the recent additions. “It’s tough 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 improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk added: “This season we don’t have any steady form, we allow excessive scores, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope this is recognized. We have to take responsibility 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 all contributed, and during a challenging phase you have to stick together and avoid blaming others.

“Show character and face the toughness and go again, repeatedly because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my view, because this club has been enduring numerous challenges over recent seasons and we’ve always come out of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”

Looking Ahead

Next up in the domestic league is a visit to London Stadium next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the Champions League. Van Dijk said: “Wednesday is another game so how should I respond, go home and cry? Certainly not, I’m going to return and analyze how we can improve results and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”