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Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing assessment of the club's woeful championship campaign, admitting the title holders are in a mess and failing manager Arne Slot while doubting whether every player is owning up for the team’s slump.

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his anger after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield 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 witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven league games, their eighth loss in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that fell apart against a opponent that started the day in the relegation zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Set-Piece Woes

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

“There was a great three or four days’ preparation but in a fixture you are dealing with facts and the truth is we conceded a set piece in the first half and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” stated Van Dijk. “As a team, we're certainly letting him down, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. Start with self-reflection 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

The skipper typically addresses the press after a game as part of his role as Liverpool captain. This time was distinct, however. His voice was much louder – so loud that any teammate in the Anfield tunnel could listen in – 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. That's crucial I expect the boys to do. It’s not easy during difficult times but we have to do it if we want to get out of this.”

Summer Signings and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club spent almost £450m to replenish a title-winning squad in the summer but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings struggling to contribute so far. The captain maintained that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the recent additions. “It’s tough for everyone,” he said. “What I want is for each player to take responsibility on the field. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. When someone is pressing, you must join the effort. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk added: “In the current term we don’t have 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. We have to take responsibility to reverse the situation and tempting to assign blame but unity is essential. We have been through it together and claimed the title and all contributed, and during a tough time you must remain united and avoid blaming others.

“Show character and face the toughness and persist, repeatedly because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my eyes, because this club has been enduring many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve consistently emerged of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”

Looking Ahead

The upcoming match in the domestic league is a visit to London Stadium next weekend, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the Champions League. Van Dijk commented: “The next game is another opportunity so how should I respond, go home and cry? Certainly not, I'll return and try to think how we can improve results and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”