🔗 Share this article

The Liverpool skipper has issued a scathing evaluation of Liverpool's disappointing championship campaign, admitting the reigning champions are in a mess and failing manager Arne Slot while questioning whether every player is taking responsibility for the team’s slump.

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his anger after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the lower section of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s latest loss in recent outings, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a display that fell apart against a Forest side that began the match in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

The captain described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave the visitors the advantage. The first goal was the ninth concession Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“We had a productive build-up to the match but in a game you are dealing with facts and the facts are we gave away 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 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 moment it is a difficult situation – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk typically addresses the press after a match as part of his role as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was more forceful – so loud that any teammate in the Anfield tunnel could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to take responsibility.” Asked whether this is occurring, he answered: “It's unclear. But it's essential. That's crucial I want 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 Team Problems

Liverpool invested almost £450m to strengthen a championship-winning team in the summer but have regressed, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s problems extend past the recent additions. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for each player to take responsibility on the field. We have to do that in order to push each other, to make each other better. When someone is pressing, 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 don’t have any consistency, we concede far too many goals, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I trust everyone sees that. We have to accept duty to reverse the situation and tempting to assign blame but you have to do it together. We have been through it together and claimed the title and everyone was part of it, and when you go through a challenging phase you must remain united and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man 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 going through many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is straightforward, it’s exhausting but there is only one path forward.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next weekend, after the midweek visit of PSV in the Champions League. Van Dijk commented: “Wednesday is another opportunity so how should I respond, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I’m going to go home and try to think how we can turn this around and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”