Virgil van Dijk gave one of the most candid and fiery interviews of his Liverpool career after the club’s humiliating 3–0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield. The Liverpool captain admitted the reigning Premier League champions are in “a mess,” accused the squad of letting down manager Arne Slot, and questioned whether every player is truly taking responsibility for the team’s alarming slump.
The defeat was Liverpool’s sixth loss in seven league games and their eighth in 11 matches across all competitions. Forest, who began the day in the relegation zone, outplayed Liverpool at Anfield, leaving the champions marooned in the bottom half with a negative goal difference. Tom Werner, the club’s American chairman, was present to witness the collapse.
Van Dijk didn’t hide his frustration. Loud enough for players in the tunnel to hear, he described Liverpool’s response to falling behind as “unacceptable,” revealing that panic set in immediately after Murillo opened the scoring early in the second half. That goal was also the ninth Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the league this season — a staggering statistic for a side that once prided itself on defensive structure.
“We prepared very well for three or four days, but the facts are the facts,” Van Dijk said. “We conceded a set piece in the first half and a terrible goal at the start of the second. We’re definitely letting him [Slot] down. We’ve let ourselves down too. You look at yourself first, then you help each other. You help each other get out of this mess, because that’s what it is — a mess.”
The Dutch defender insisted that the squad’s mentality is falling short of championship standards. “As the champions, we can’t be in this situation. What are we going to do about it? Try to turn it around. That should be everyone’s mentality.”
Although Van Dijk regularly speaks to the media post-match, the tone on Saturday was noticeably different. His voice shook with anger as he challenged teammates to step up. “You should be angry,” he said. “The main thing for me is that everyone takes responsibility.” When asked whether he believes that is currently happening, Van Dijk paused before answering: “I don’t know. But you have to. It’s the only way out of this.”
New Signings Struggling — But Problems Run Deeper
Liverpool invested nearly £450m over the summer in a major reshaping of the squad. Yet big-money signings have failed to lift the team. Alexander Isak, the £125m British-record signing, has struggled to settle. Florian Wirtz, brought in for a fee potentially rising to £116m, was absent against Forest but has made little impact so far. Milos Kerkez (£40m) and Jeremie Frimpong (£29.5m) have also failed to inspire.
Van Dijk, however, emphasized that the issues extend far beyond recent arrivals. “It’s tough for everyone,” he admitted. “I want everyone to take responsibility on the pitch. If someone presses, you follow the press. It’s basic stuff, but it’s not happening enough.”
The captain pointed to inconsistency, defensive fragility, and a loss of intensity as key reasons behind Liverpool’s dramatic slide. “We have no consistency this season. We concede far too many goals. We’re losing battles. Everyone is responsible. I hope everyone sees that.”
He urged players to resist finger-pointing and rediscover the unity that helped Liverpool win the league. “You have to go through tough times together. When we won the league, everyone was part of it and everyone was happy. So during difficult moments, you stick together. You don’t point fingers.”
“You Must Be a Man and Face It”
Van Dijk insisted that giving up is not an option. “You have to be a man and face the toughness,” he said. “Go again, again and again. If you want to give up, then this is the wrong place for you. This club has been through adversity many times, and we’ve always come out of it. But that doesn’t make it easy — it’s tiring. Still, there’s no other way.”
Despite the bleak mood, Liverpool have little time to dwell. They face PSV in the Champions League midweek before traveling to West Ham next Sunday.
“Wednesday is another game,” Van Dijk said. “What am I going to do? Go home and cry? No. I’ll go home and think about how we can turn this around. I hope everyone else does the same.”
Liverpool’s season is unraveling, but their captain has delivered a clear message: the time for excuses is over. Responsibility, effort, and unity — or the crisis will only deepen.
