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The Liverpool skipper has issued a scathing evaluation of the club's disappointing title defence, admitting the title holders are in disarray and letting down manager Arne Slot while doubting whether every player is owning up for the current downturn.

Van Dijk could not contain his anger after the weekend's heavy loss at Anfield by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the bottom half of the Premier League table with a negative goal difference. The club's chair was present at Anfield to observe Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth loss in eleven fixtures across all competitions, and a performance that fell apart against a Forest side that began the match in the relegation zone.

“Unacceptable” Start and Defensive Lapses

The captain labeled Liverpool’s start to the second half as “unacceptable” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as the Forest player gave Sean Dyche’s team the advantage. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the Premier League this season.

“We had a great build-up to the match but in a fixture you are facing reality and the truth is we conceded a free-kick in the opening period and a terrible goal at the beginning after the break,” said Van Dijk. “We are certainly letting him down, 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: Step Up

Van Dijk typically addresses the media after a game as part of his role as team leader. This time was distinct, however. His voice was much louder – audible enough that any player in the Anfield tunnel 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 take responsibility.” When questioned whether this is occurring, he replied: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. That's crucial I expect the players to do. It's challenging during tough periods but we have to do it if we aim to recover of this.”

Summer Signings and Broader Issues

The Merseyside club invested almost £450m to strengthen a championship-winning team in the off-season but have gone backwards, with several high-profile signings failing to make an impact so far. The captain maintained that Liverpool’s problems extend past the new recruits. “It’s tough for everyone,” he said. “What I want is for each player to take responsibility on the field. This is necessary in order to push each other, to improve collectively. If a teammate presses, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”

Appeal to Stick Together

Van Dijk continued: “In the current term we don’t have any steady form, we concede far too many goals, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I trust everyone sees that. We have to accept duty to turn this around and it is easy to assign blame but unity is essential. Past successes were collective and claimed the title and all contributed, and during a tough time you must remain united and avoid blaming others.

“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 eyes, because this club has been enduring many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve consistently emerged of it. However, that doesn't imply it is easy, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”

Next Fixtures

Next up in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next weekend, after the Champions League fixture of the Dutch side in the Champions League. He commented: “Wednesday is another opportunity so how should I respond, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I'll return and try to think how we can turn this around and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”