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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a scathing evaluation of Liverpool's woeful title defence, admitting the title holders are in disarray and letting down head coach Slot while questioning whether all squad members is owning up for the current downturn.

The Dutch defender struggled to hold back his anger after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the bottom half of the top-flight standings with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was in attendance to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth loss in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that unravelled against a Forest side that began the match in the relegation zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Defensive Lapses

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s start to the second half as “unacceptable” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as Murillo gave the visitors the advantage. The first goal was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the current campaign.

“We had a productive build-up to the match but in a game you are dealing with reality and the facts are we gave away a free-kick in the first half and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” said 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 moment it is a mess – that’s just a fact.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

The skipper usually speaks the press after a game as part of his role as team leader. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was much louder – so loud that any player in the Anfield tunnel could listen in – and he shook with anger while urging the squad to react. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that everyone has to take responsibility.” When questioned whether that is happening, Van Dijk replied: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I expect the boys to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we have to do it if we aim to recover of this.”

Squad Investment and Team Problems

The Merseyside club invested almost £450 million to strengthen a title-winning squad in the summer but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings struggling to contribute so far. The captain insisted that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the new recruits. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the pitch. This is necessary 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 it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

Van Dijk continued: “This season we lack any consistency, we allow far too many goals, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I trust everyone sees that. It's vital to take responsibility to reverse the situation and tempting to assign blame but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and claimed the title and everyone was part of it, and when you go through a challenging phase you have to stick together and avoid blaming others.

“You have to be a man and face the toughness and go again, again and again because surrendering is not an option then you are at the wrong place in my view, because Liverpool has been enduring many adversity over those years and we’ve consistently emerged of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, it’s exhausting but there is no other way.”

Looking Ahead

Next up in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the Champions League. He said: “Wednesday is another game so how should I respond, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I’m going to return and try to think how we can improve results and I trust that is what everyone is doing as well.”