Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has conceded that the squad is failing manager Arne Slot, following a heavy 3–0 defeat to Nottingham Forest that extended the club’s alarming Premier League slump.
The champions have now lost six of their last seven league matches, a sequence that has dragged them into the bottom half of the table despite a record transfer outlay of nearly £450 million. Speaking after the loss at Anfield, Van Dijk described the situation as “a mess,” insisting that the responsibility lies with the players as much as with the coaching staff.
“We are definitely letting him down, but we have let ourselves down as well,” the defender said. “As champions we cannot be where we are right now. We have to help each other out of this mess, and the mentality has to be to turn it around.”
Liverpool’s expensive summer signings have yet to deliver. Alexander Isak, signed for a British-record £125 million, is still without a league goal and struggled again against Forest. Several key players from last season’s title-winning campaign have also hit poor form; Ibrahima Konate was substituted early following another shaky display.
Van Dijk stressed the need for collective responsibility. “You have to be a man and face the toughness,” he added. “You cannot give up. This club has been through adversity before and always come out of it.”
Liverpool’s performances in Europe have been more encouraging, with three wins from four Champions League matches. Slot will hope continental competition offers a brief reprieve when PSV Eindhoven visit Anfield on Wednesday.
Slot Accepts Blame for Forest Defeat
Manager Arne Slot, meanwhile, said he must take full responsibility for Liverpool’s latest setback, describing the loss as “a very, very bad result.” Forest capitalised on their chances through Murillo, Nicolo Savona and Morgan Gibbs-White, securing one of the heaviest away wins at Anfield in the Premier League era.
Slot acknowledged that Forest’s boss Sean Dyche tactically outmanoeuvred him, using a deep defensive block and counter-attacking approach to expose Liverpool’s lack of sharpness. “I am responsible when we win, but also responsible when we lose,” Slot said. “There are no excuses for the results we are having. It is not good enough.”
The defeat leaves Liverpool 11th in the table and eight points behind leaders Arsenal. Their form across competitions has collapsed, with eight losses in their last 11 games—an extraordinary decline for a side that surged to a record-equalling 20th English title last season.
Despite the downturn, Slot said he remains confident of a turnaround. “With the quality we have, of course there is a way out,” he said. He insisted that Liverpool’s early play against Forest had been promising, even if a lack of finishing proved costly. “We created a lot in the opening half-hour, but the first time they reached our box they scored. If you miss your chances and concede so easily, it becomes a very difficult combination.”
