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Virgil van Dijk has issued 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 every player is owning up for the current downturn.

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his frustration after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the bottom half of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s latest loss in recent outings, their eighth loss in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that fell apart against a Forest side that began the match in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s team the advantage. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.

“There was 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 first half and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” stated the defender. “We are definitely failing the manager, 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 crisis because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that’s just a fact.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk usually speaks the media after a match as part of his duties as team leader. This time was distinct, however. He spoke was much louder – audible enough that any player in the Anfield tunnel could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while urging the dressing room to respond. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” Asked whether this is occurring, Van Dijk replied: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. That's crucial I want the boys to do. It's challenging during difficult times but we must act if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Broader Issues

Liverpool spent almost £450m to strengthen a championship-winning team in the off-season but have gone backwards, with new arrivals struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the new recruits. “It’s tough for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to take responsibility on the pitch. We have to do that in order to push each other, to make each other better. When someone is pressing, you must join the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk added: “This season we lack any steady form, we concede excessive scores, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope everyone sees that. We have to take responsibility to turn this around and it is easy to point fingers but unity is essential. We have been through it together and claimed the title and everyone was part of it, and during a tough time you must remain united and avoid blaming others.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and persist, repeatedly because surrendering is not an option 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 easy, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the Premier League is a visit to London Stadium next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side 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 go home and analyze how we can improve results and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”