Virgil Van Dijk Admits Liverpool Are In A Mess And Hits Out At Teammates

Virgil van Dijk has delivered a scathing appraisal of Liverpool’s woeful title defence, nan nine skipper admitting nan champions are successful a messiness and letting down Arne Slot while questioning whether each subordinate is shouldering work for nan team’s slump.

Van Dijk could not incorporate his anger pursuing Saturday’s 3-0 location conclusion by Nottingham Forest that near Liverpool successful nan bottommost half of nan array pinch a antagonistic extremity difference. Chairman Tom Werner was astatine Anfield to witnesser Liverpool’s sixth conclusion successful 7 Premier League games, their eighth nonaccomplishment successful 11 matches successful each competitions, and a capacity that unravelled against a Forest broadside that started nan time successful nan relegation zone.

Van Dijk described Liverpool’s commencement to nan 2nd half arsenic “unacceptable” and admitted “panic kicked in” arsenic soon arsenic Murillo gave Sean Dyche’s squad nan lead. Forest’s opener was nan ninth extremity Liverpool person conceded from a group portion successful nan Premier League this season.

“We had a awesome 3 aliases 4 days’ mentation but successful a crippled you are dealing pinch facts and nan facts are we conceded a set-piece successful nan first half and a unspeakable extremity astatine nan commencement of nan 2nd half,” said Van Dijk. “We are decidedly letting him [Slot] down, but we’ve fto ourselves down arsenic well. You look astatine yourself first and past you thief each other, you thief each different get retired of this messiness because astatine nan infinitesimal it is simply a messiness – that’s conscionable a fact.

“As nan champions we can’t beryllium successful nan business we are successful correct now. What are we going to do astir it? We’re going to effort to move it astir and that’s nan mentality everyone should have.”

Arne Slot, right, cuts a disappointment fig during nan nonaccomplishment to Nottingham Forest, afterwards accepting blasted for his team’s mediocre performance. Photograph: Matt West/Shutterstock

Van Dijk usually speaks pinch nan media aft a crippled arsenic portion of his duties arsenic Liverpool captain. Saturday was different, however. His sound was overmuch louder – truthful large that immoderate teammate successful nan Anfield passageway could perceive him – and he shook pinch anger while challenging nan dressing room to respond. “You should beryllium angry,” he insisted. “The main point for maine is that everyone has to return responsibility.” Asked whether that is happening, Van Dijk replied: “I don’t know. But you person to do that. It’s nan main point I want nan boys to do. It’s not easy during difficult times but we person to do it if we want to get retired of this.”

Liverpool spent almost £450m to replenish a title-winning squad successful nan summertime but person gone backwards, pinch £125m British-record signing Alexander Isak, imaginable £116m signing Florian Wirtz, who was absent against Forest, £40m Milos Kerkez and £29.5m Jeremie Frimpong each failing to make an effect truthful far. Van Dijk insisted Liverpool’s issues spell beyond nan caller recruits. “It’s reliable for everyone,” he said. “What I want is for everyone to return work connected nan pitch. We person to do that successful bid to push each other, to make each different better. When personification is pressing, you person to travel nan press. It’s basal things but it’s not happening enough.”

The Dutchman added: “This play we don’t person immoderate consistency, we concede acold excessively galore goals, we are losing battles and everyone is responsible for it and I dream everyone sees that. We person to return work to move this astir and it is easy to constituent fingers but you person to do it together. We person been done it together and won nan convention and everyone was portion of it and happy and erstwhile you spell done a reliable clip you person to instrumentality together and not constituent fingers.

“You person to beryllium a man and look nan toughness and spell again, again and again because if you want to springiness up past you are astatine nan incorrect spot successful my eyes because this nine has been going done galore adversity complete those years and we’ve ever travel retired of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, it’s tiring but location is nary different way.

“Wednesday is different crippled [against PSV Eindhoven successful nan Champions League] truthful what americium I going to do, spell location and cry? No, I’m going to spell location and effort to deliberation really we tin move this astir and hopefully that is what everyone is doing arsenic well.”