The Liverpool skipper has issued a blunt assessment of Liverpool's disappointing championship campaign, confessing the title holders are in disarray and letting down head coach Slot while questioning whether all squad members is owning up for the team’s slump.
The Dutch defender could not contain his frustration after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the Premier League table with a deficit in goals. The club's chair was in attendance to observe Liverpool’s latest loss in seven league games, their eighth loss in 11 matches across every tournament, and a display that unravelled against a Forest side that began the match in the drop zone.
Van Dijk 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 allowed from dead-ball situations in the current campaign.
“There was a great build-up to the match but in a fixture you are facing reality and the facts are we conceded a free-kick in the first half and a poor concession at the beginning after the break,” stated the defender. “We are definitely letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. Start with self-reflection and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this mess because at the present time it is a mess – that’s just a fact.
Van Dijk usually speaks the press 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 stadium corridors could hear him – and he shook with anger while urging the squad to respond. “You should be angry,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that each individual has to take responsibility.” Asked whether this is occurring, Van Dijk replied: “It's unclear. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I want the boys to do. It’s not easy during difficult times but we have to do it if we want to get out of this.”
The Merseyside club spent almost £450 million to strengthen a championship-winning team in the summer but have regressed, with new arrivals failing to make an impact so far. Van Dijk insisted that Liverpool’s issues extend past the recent additions. “It’s tough for everyone,” he said. “My expectation is for each player to take responsibility on the pitch. This is necessary in order to motivate one another, to improve collectively. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the effort. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”
Van Dijk continued: “In the current term we lack any consistency, we concede excessive scores, we are being out-fought and all share the blame for it and I trust everyone sees that. It's vital to accept duty to reverse the situation and it is easy to assign blame but unity is essential. We have been through it together and won the league and all contributed, and when you go through a tough time you must remain united and avoid blaming others.
“You have to be a man and face the toughness and persist, repeatedly because if you want to give up then you are in the wrong environment in my view, because Liverpool has been going through many adversity over recent seasons and we’ve always come out of it. However, that doesn't imply it is straightforward, it’s tiring but there is only one path forward.”
Next up in the Premier League is a trip to West Ham next weekend, after the midweek visit of the Dutch side in the Champions League. He said: “The next game is another game so what am I going to do, dwell on the loss? Certainly not, I'll go home and analyze how we can turn this around and hopefully that is what everyone is doing as well.”
A seasoned casino strategist with over a decade of experience in gaming analysis and player psychology, Elena shares insights to help players succeed.
