Virgil van Dijk has issued a blunt evaluation of the club's disappointing championship campaign, confessing the reigning champions are in a mess and letting down head coach Slot while doubting whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the current downturn.
Van Dijk struggled to hold back his anger after Saturday’s heavy loss at Anfield by Nottingham Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the bottom half of the top-flight standings with a deficit in goals. Tom Werner was in attendance to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven league games, their eighth setback in eleven fixtures across all competitions, and a performance that fell apart against a Forest side that began the match in the relegation zone.
The captain described 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 advantage. The first goal was the ninth concession Liverpool have allowed from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season.
“We had a great build-up to the match but in a game you are dealing with reality and the truth is we gave away a set piece 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 disappointed ourselves as well. You look at yourself first and then you help each other, you help each other get out of this crisis because at the moment it is a mess – that’s just a fact.
The skipper typically addresses the media after a match as part of his duties as team leader. This time was distinct, however. He spoke was much louder – so loud that any player in the stadium corridors could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while urging the squad to respond. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The key point for me is that everyone has to take responsibility.” Asked whether that is happening, he replied: “It's unclear. But it's essential. That's crucial I want the players to do. It's challenging during difficult times but we must act if we want to get out of this.”
The Merseyside club invested almost £450 million to strengthen a title-winning squad in the off-season but have regressed, with several high-profile signings struggling to contribute so far. The captain insisted that Liverpool’s issues go beyond the recent additions. “It’s tough for everyone,” he said. “What I want 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 have to follow the effort. It’s basic things but it’s not happening enough.”
The Dutchman added: “This season we don’t have any consistency, we concede excessive scores, we are being out-fought and everyone is responsible for it and I trust everyone sees that. We have to take responsibility to reverse the situation and tempting to point fingers but you have to do it together. Past successes were collective and won the league and all contributed, and when you go through a challenging phase you have to stick together and not point fingers.
“Show character and face the toughness 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 enduring numerous challenges over recent seasons and we’ve always come out of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, it’s exhausting but there is only one path forward.”
The upcoming match in the domestic league is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the Champions League fixture of PSV in the European competition. He said: “Wednesday is another opportunity so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I'll return and analyze how we can improve results and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”
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