🔗 Share this article

Virgil van Dijk has issued a scathing assessment of the club's disappointing championship campaign, admitting the reigning champions are in disarray and failing head coach Slot while questioning whether all squad members is owning up for the current downturn.

Van Dijk could not contain his frustration after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the lower section of the top-flight standings with a deficit in goals. The club's chair was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s latest loss 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.

“Unacceptable” Start and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s team the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.

“We had a great build-up to the match but in a game you are facing reality and the truth is we conceded a set piece in the first half and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” stated the defender. “As a team, we're certainly letting him down, 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 mess because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Step Up

Van Dijk typically addresses the media after a match as part of his role as Liverpool captain. This time was distinct, however. He spoke was more forceful – audible enough that any player in the Anfield tunnel could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the squad to react. “Anger is justified,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” When questioned whether that is happening, he replied: “I don’t know. But it's essential. It’s the main thing I expect the players to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we must act if we aim to recover of this.”

Summer Signings and Team Problems

Liverpool spent almost £450m to strengthen a title-winning squad in the off-season but have regressed, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. The captain maintained that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the new recruits. “It's difficult for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the pitch. This is necessary in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you must join the effort. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman added: “This season we don’t have any consistency, we concede 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 it is easy to assign blame but you have to do it together. We have been through it together and claimed the title and all contributed, and when you go through a challenging phase you have to stick together and avoid blaming others.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and go again, repeatedly because surrendering is not an option then you are at the wrong place in my view, because this club has been going through many adversity over those years and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, 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 Sunday, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the European competition. He commented: “Wednesday is another opportunity so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? No, I'll return and try to think how we can turn this around and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”