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Virgil van Dijk has delivered a scathing assessment of the club's disappointing championship campaign, admitting the title holders are in disarray and failing manager Arne Slot while doubting whether all squad members is owning up for the team’s slump.

The Dutch defender struggled to hold back his frustration 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 deficit in goals. The club's chair was present at Anfield to witness Liverpool’s latest loss in recent outings, their eighth setback in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that fell apart against a opponent that started the day in the relegation zone.

Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes

Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s opening after halftime as “not good enough” and admitted “panic kicked in” as soon as Murillo gave the visitors the advantage. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.

“We had a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a fixture you are facing facts and the truth is we gave away a free-kick in the first half and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” stated the defender. “As a team, we're definitely failing the manager, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. You look at yourself first and then you support teammates, you work together to escape of this mess because at the present time it is a mess – that's the reality.

Captain’s Challenge: Take Responsibility

The skipper typically addresses the media after a match as part of his role as Liverpool captain. This time was distinct, however. He spoke was more forceful – audible enough that any player in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he shook with anger while urging the dressing room to respond. “Anger is justified,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” Asked whether this is occurring, he replied: “I don’t know. But it's essential. It’s the main thing I expect the players to do. It’s not easy during tough periods but we have to do it if we aim to recover of this.”

Summer Signings and Broader Issues

Liverpool invested almost £450 million to replenish a championship-winning team in the summer but have regressed, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. The captain maintained that Liverpool’s issues extend past the recent additions. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for everyone to be answerable on the pitch. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to make each other better. When someone is pressing, you must join the effort. These are fundamentals but it’s not happening enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

Van Dijk added: “In the current term we lack any consistency, we allow far too many goals, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope everyone sees that. We have to accept duty to turn this around and it is easy to assign blame but unity is essential. We have been through it together and won the league and everyone was part of it, and during a challenging phase you must remain united and not point fingers.

“You have to be a man and face the toughness and persist, repeatedly because if you want to give up then you are at the wrong place in my eyes, because this club has been enduring numerous challenges over those years and we’ve consistently emerged of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, 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 Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the European competition. Van Dijk commented: “Wednesday is another game so what am I going to do, go home and cry? Certainly not, I’m going to return and try to think how we can improve results and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”