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

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his frustration after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the lower section of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s latest loss in seven league games, their eighth loss in 11 matches across every tournament, and a performance that unravelled against a opponent that began the match in the drop zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s start to the second half as “unacceptable” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s team the lead. The first goal was the ninth goal Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the Premier League this season.

“There was a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are facing reality and the truth is we gave away a set piece in the opening period and a poor concession at the start of the second half,” said Van Dijk. “We are definitely letting him down, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. Start with self-reflection and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this crisis because at the moment it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

The skipper usually speaks the media after a game as part of his role as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was more forceful – so loud that any teammate in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he shook with anger while challenging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether this is occurring, Van Dijk replied: “I don’t know. But it's essential. That's crucial I want the boys to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Summer Signings and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club invested almost £450 million to replenish a title-winning squad in the summer but have regressed, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. The captain insisted that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the new recruits. “It’s tough for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the field. We have to do that in order to push each other, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the press. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk added: “This season we don’t have any steady form, we concede far too many goals, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I hope this is recognized. It's vital to take responsibility to reverse the situation and it is easy to point fingers but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and won the league and all contributed, and during a challenging phase you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and go again, repeatedly because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my view, because Liverpool has been enduring numerous challenges over recent seasons and we’ve always come out of it. But it doesn’t mean it is straightforward, it’s exhausting but there is only one path forward.”

Looking Ahead

Next up in the Premier League is a visit to London Stadium next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of PSV in the European competition. He commented: “The next game is another game so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I’m going to return and try to think how we can turn this around and I trust that is the collective focus as well.”