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The Liverpool skipper has issued a scathing evaluation of the club's disappointing title defence, 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 Nottingham Forest, a result that left Liverpool in the bottom half of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was in attendance to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven league games, their eighth loss in eleven fixtures across every tournament, and a display that fell apart against a Forest side that began the match in the relegation zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s team the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth goal Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.

“There was a great build-up to the match but in a fixture you are dealing with reality and the truth is we conceded a set piece in the first half and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” said Van Dijk. “As a team, we're definitely failing the manager, but we’ve disappointed ourselves as well. Start with self-reflection and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this mess because at the moment it is a mess – that's the reality.

Captain’s Challenge: Step Up

The skipper typically addresses the media after a match as part of his duties as team leader. Saturday was different, however. His voice was more forceful – audible enough that any player in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while urging the dressing room to react. “Anger is justified,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that each individual has to take responsibility.” Asked whether that is happening, Van Dijk answered: “It's unclear. 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.”

Squad Investment and Team Problems

The Merseyside club spent almost £450m to replenish a title-winning squad in the summer but have gone backwards, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s problems extend past the new recruits. “It's difficult for all involved,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the field. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. When someone is pressing, you must join the press. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Call for Unity

The Dutchman added: “In the current term we lack any consistency, we concede excessive scores, we are being out-fought 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 assign blame but you have to do it together. We have been through it together and claimed the title and everyone was part of it, and when you go through a tough time you must remain united and avoid blaming others.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and go again, repeatedly because if you want to give up then you are at the wrong place in my view, because Liverpool has been going through many adversity 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 no other way.”

Looking Ahead

Next up in the Premier League is a trip to West Ham next weekend, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the Champions League. He said: “The next game is another opportunity so how should I respond, go home and cry? No, I'll go home and analyze how we can turn this around and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”