Virgil van Dijk has admitted Liverpool are in “a mess” after their disastrous title defence worsened with a 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, questioning whether his teammates are taking enough responsibility for the club’s collapse.
The Liverpool captain spoke angrily after the loss, which left the champions in the bottom half of the Premier League with a negative goal difference. It marked the club’s sixth defeat in seven league matches and their eighth loss in 11 games across all competitions.
Van Dijk described the start of the second half as “unacceptable” and said “panic kicked in” after Forest took the lead, with Liverpool again conceding from a set piece — the ninth time that has happened in the league this season. He admitted the team were letting down manager Arne Slot and called the current situation “a mess”.
He urged players to take accountability, questioning whether everyone was stepping up when asked. Van Dijk raised his voice in the tunnel after the match, demanding a reaction from the squad.
Despite Liverpool spending close to £450m in the summer, including big-money signings like Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, Van Dijk insisted the problems go beyond new players. He pointed to basic issues such as lack of pressing, lost duels and poor defensive organisation.
“There is no consistency, we concede too many goals and we are losing battles,” he said, stressing the need for unity rather than blame.
Liverpool face PSV in the Champions League next before travelling to West Ham in the league, and Van Dijk said he would not give up, promising to keep fighting to turn things around.
