Virgil van Dijk has issued a blunt evaluation of the club's woeful title defence, admitting the reigning champions are in a mess and failing manager Arne Slot while doubting whether every player is owning up for the current downturn.
Van Dijk could not contain his frustration after Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across all competitions, and a display that fell apart against a opponent that began the match in the drop zone.
“Unacceptable” Start and Set-Piece Woes
Van Dijk described Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “unacceptable” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as Murillo gave the visitors the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the current campaign.
“There was a productive build-up to the match but in a game you are facing reality and the truth is we conceded a free-kick in the first half and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” said Van Dijk. “As a team, we're definitely failing the manager, but we’ve let ourselves down 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 the reality.
Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility
Van Dijk usually speaks the media after a match as part of his duties as Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. He spoke was more forceful – so loud that any player in the stadium corridors could hear him – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the dressing room to react. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that each individual has to be accountable.” When questioned whether this is occurring, he replied: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. That's crucial I want the players to do. It’s not easy during difficult times but we must act if we want to get out of this.”
Summer Signings and Team Problems
Liverpool 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. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the recent additions. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “What I want is for each player to take responsibility on the pitch. This is necessary in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the press. It’s basic things but they're lacking enough.”
Call for Unity
Van Dijk continued: “This season we don’t have any steady form, we concede excessive scores, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I trust everyone sees that. We have to take responsibility to reverse the situation and it is easy to assign blame 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 avoid blaming others.
“Show character and face the toughness and go again, again and again because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my view, because Liverpool has been going through many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is straightforward, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”
Looking Ahead
The upcoming match in the Premier League is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the Champions League. Van Dijk commented: “The next game is another game so what am I going to do, go home and cry? No, 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.”
