Virgil van Dijk has delivered a brutal assessment of Liverpool’s form, admitting the reigning champions are “a mess” and questioning whether his teammates are taking enough responsibility for the club’s slump.
Speaking after Saturday’s 3–0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, a team that began the day in the relegation zone, the Liverpool captain said his side are letting down new manager Arne Slot and themselves. The loss left Liverpool in the bottom half of the Premier League with a negative goal difference and marked their sixth defeat in seven league matches.
Van Dijk described the performance, particularly at the start of the second half, as “unacceptable” and said “panic kicked in” after Forest took the lead. He highlighted Liverpool’s ongoing problems defending set pieces, with Forest’s opener marking the ninth goal conceded from a dead-ball situation this season.
“We’re letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well,” Van Dijk said. “At the moment it is a mess – that’s just a fact.”
Visibly angry, Van Dijk demanded greater accountability inside the dressing room, saying every player must take responsibility during difficult periods. When asked if that was happening, he responded: “I don’t know. But you have to do that.”
Despite spending nearly £450m in the summer, Liverpool have struggled for consistency. Big-money signings such as Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have yet to make a significant impact, though Van Dijk insisted the problems go beyond new arrivals.
Next up for Liverpool is a midweek Champions League clash with PSV, followed by a Premier League trip to West Ham. Van Dijk said the focus now must be on finding solutions, not dwelling on the defeat: “What am I going to do, go home and cry? No. I’m going to think how we can turn this around.”
