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The Liverpool skipper has delivered a scathing evaluation of the club's woeful championship campaign, confessing the title holders are in disarray and failing manager Arne Slot while questioning whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the current downturn.

Van Dijk struggled to hold back his frustration after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the top-flight standings with a deficit in goals. The club's chair was present at Anfield to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback 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 Set-Piece Woes

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

“We had a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a fixture you are dealing with facts and the facts are we gave away a free-kick in the first half and a poor concession at the beginning after the break,” stated the defender. “We are certainly letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. Start with self-reflection and then you support teammates, you work together to escape of this crisis because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that's the reality.

Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility

Van Dijk typically addresses the media after a game as part of his duties as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was more forceful – audible enough that any player in the Anfield tunnel could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while urging the dressing room to respond. “You should be angry,” he emphasized. “The key point for me is that each individual 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 want the boys to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we must act if we want to get out of this.”

Squad Investment and Team Problems

Liverpool spent almost £450m to replenish a championship-winning team in the summer but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s problems go beyond the recent additions. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to take responsibility on the field. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to make each other better. If a teammate presses, you must join the press. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Call for Unity

Van Dijk added: “In the current term we don’t have any consistency, we allow excessive scores, we are being out-fought and all share the blame for it and I trust everyone sees that. We have to take responsibility to turn this around and it is easy to assign blame but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and claimed the title and everyone was part of it, and during a tough time you have to stick together and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and confront the hardship and go again, again and again because surrendering is not an option then you are in the wrong environment in my view, because this club has been going through many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, it’s tiring but there is no other way.”

Next Fixtures

The upcoming match in the Premier League is a visit to London Stadium next weekend, after the midweek visit of PSV in the European competition. Van Dijk said: “Wednesday is another game so how should I respond, go home and cry? Certainly not, I'll return and analyze how we can improve results and I trust that is what everyone is doing as well.”