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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a blunt assessment of Liverpool's woeful championship campaign, admitting the title holders are in a mess and letting down head coach Slot while doubting whether all squad members is owning up for the team’s slump.

Van Dijk could not contain his frustration after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the bottom half of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was in attendance to observe Liverpool’s latest loss in seven league games, their eighth loss in eleven fixtures across all competitions, and a performance that unravelled against a opponent that started the day in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Defensive Lapses

The captain described Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “unacceptable” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as the Forest player gave Sean Dyche’s team the advantage. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the current campaign.

“We had a great three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are facing facts and the truth is we gave away a free-kick in the opening period and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” stated the defender. “As a team, we're definitely letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. You look at yourself first and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this mess because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that’s just a fact.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

The skipper usually speaks the media after a game as part of his duties as team leader. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was much louder – so loud that any teammate in the Anfield tunnel could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” Asked whether that is happening, he replied: “It's unclear. But it's essential. It’s the main thing I want the boys to do. It’s not easy during difficult times but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Team Problems

The Merseyside club spent almost £450 million to replenish a championship-winning team in the off-season but have gone backwards, with new arrivals struggling to contribute so far. The captain insisted that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the new recruits. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “What I want is for each player to take responsibility on the pitch. This is necessary in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the press. It’s basic things but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk continued: “This season we lack any consistency, 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 accept duty to turn this around and tempting to assign blame 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 have to stick together and not point fingers.

“Show character and confront the hardship and persist, repeatedly because surrendering is not an option then you are at the wrong place in my eyes, because this club has been enduring many adversity over those years and we’ve always come out of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, it’s tiring but there is no other way.”

Looking Ahead

The upcoming match in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of PSV in the Champions League. Van Dijk said: “The next game is another opportunity so what am I going to do, 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.”