Virgil van Dijk has openly criticised Liverpool’s dreadful title defence, admitting the team are “in a mess” and questioning whether all players are taking responsibility after a 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
The loss left Liverpool in the bottom half of the table with a negative goal difference. Van Dijk said the team’s start to the second half was “unacceptable” and admitted “panic kicked in” once Forest took the lead, highlighting ongoing problems defending set pieces.
The captain said Liverpool are letting down manager Arne Slot and called for greater accountability in the squad. He stressed that basic standards like pressing and working together are not being met, despite the club spending nearly £450m on new players in the summer.
Van Dijk insisted the problems go beyond new signings, saying the whole team lacks consistency, loses too many battles and concedes too many goals. He urged the squad to stick together rather than point fingers.
Liverpool now face PSV in the Champions League before a Premier League trip to West Ham, with Van Dijk vowing to focus on how the team can turn their season around.
