Virgil van Dijk says Liverpool’s squad are “letting both the manager and ourselves down” after their damaging 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest. The loss marked their sixth defeat in seven matches, leaving Arne Slot’s side down in 11th place in the Premier League. A visibly “angry” Van Dijk urged his teammates to pull themselves out of what he described as a “mess”.
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Liverpool’s troubles deepen
Nottingham Forest brutally highlighted Liverpool’s shortcomings at Anfield, raising renewed doubts over whether Arne Slot is the right leader to take the club forward. Van Dijk admitted Liverpool look fragile defensively, having now conceded 20 league goals in just 11 matches.
Speaking to Premier League Productions, the Dutch defender said: “We allow goals far too easily. Once again, it came from a set piece. People are debating whether the scorer was blocking Alisson, but it counted, so we’re 1–0 behind. We were poor in duels, challenges, and overall fight. We looked rushed. It’s a very difficult position to be in right now. The nervousness only set in after the goal—not before. We tried to force things, which is normal when you’re struggling. We’ve cleared issues before, and yet we still find ourselves in trouble. Talking alone won’t fix this—we need serious hard work.”
Despite the worrying situation, the Liverpool captain insists there is still hope of a turnaround, acknowledging that the path back will not be straightforward.
“It’s a problem. Everyone must take responsibility. Football is a team sport and responsibility falls on all of us. We need to take it on the chin and work harder. We have to keep pushing,” he continued. “Everyone is rightly disappointed—losing to Nottingham Forest at home is extremely poor, that’s the least I can say. We conceded goals that were far too soft, and we all need to self-reflect. I’ve been here long enough to experience adversity. We will recover, but it won’t happen instantly. I’m not someone who gives up, and we will keep going.”
Van Dijk calls for accountability
The centre-back, now 34, stated that it is unacceptable for the reigning Premier League champions to find themselves in this position. He reiterated that responsibility rests with the players—not Arne Slot.
“You should be angry. What matters most is that everyone accepts responsibility,” he said. “It’s not easy during tough periods, but it’s the only way out. We’re definitely letting the manager down—but we’re also letting ourselves down. Right now, it’s a mess, that’s the reality. As champions, we simply shouldn’t be where we are. How do we respond? We try to turn it around—that must be our mentality.”
‘I’m not a quitter’
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Reflecting on the match, Van Dijk said Liverpool started reasonably well against Forest before “panic took over” after Murillo opened the scoring. The defender believes he is ready for the battle ahead, but insists several things need to drastically improve.
“The first 30 minutes were good—we created chances. There were moments where we had two or three balls flashed across Sels for what could’ve been tap-ins. Macca’s shot was blocked well. We were dangerous. But once we conceded from the set piece, panic crept in,” he explained. “As a team, you have to stay composed and make the right decisions. We didn’t, and that’s hard to accept. We looked nervous, tried to force the game. The way we began the second half was simply not acceptable. You need calmness to create chances and be clinical. We lacked that, and Forest won too many physical battles. Our season has been full of inconsistency. We’re conceding too many goals. We prepared well for this game with good training sessions and positive meetings. But ultimately, it’s about what you deliver on the pitch. I won’t quit. I never will. But it doesn’t mean this is easy to take.”
What’s next for Liverpool?
Despite the gloomy outlook, Slot remains confident that Liverpool can recover momentum. A former player has also claimed that the Dutchman’s position at Anfield is not under threat. The Reds now look to reset quickly as they host PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League midweek, aiming to respond immediately to their latest setback.
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