Virgil van Dijk has delivered a blunt assessment of Liverpool’s collapse, admitting the champions are “in a mess” and questioning whether his teammates are taking enough responsibility for their performances.
Speaking after a 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, which left Liverpool in the bottom half of the table, the captain said the team had let down manager Arne Slot and themselves. He described the start of the second half as “unacceptable” and said “panic kicked in” after conceding, highlighting ongoing issues with defending set pieces.
Van Dijk voiced his frustration in the tunnel, insisting players should feel anger and take accountability. “As the champions we can’t be in the situation we are in,” he said, calling for unity and leadership under pressure.
Despite heavy summer spending of nearly £450m, Liverpool have gone backwards, but Van Dijk stressed the problems go beyond new signings. He cited a lack of consistency, poor defending and weak pressing as key issues.
With crucial matches coming up against PSV and West Ham, Van Dijk said the squad must face the challenge head-on: “What am I going to do, go home and cry? No. We have to think how we turn this around.”
