Van Dijk Admits Squad Faces Crisis, Challenges Players on Responsibility
The Liverpool skipper has issued a scathing assessment of the club's disappointing title defence, confessing the reigning champions are in a mess and failing head coach Slot while questioning whether all squad members is taking responsibility for the current downturn.
Van Dijk could not contain his frustration after the weekend's 3-0 home defeat by Forest, a result that saw the Reds in the lower section of the top-flight standings with a deficit in goals. Tom Werner was present at Anfield to witness Liverpool’s sixth defeat in recent outings, their eighth setback in 11 matches across all competitions, and a display that unravelled against a opponent that started the day in the drop zone.
Poor Second Half and Set-Piece Woes
Van Dijk labeled Liverpool’s start to the second half as “not good enough” and admitted “anxiety set in” as soon as Murillo gave the visitors the lead. Forest’s opener was the ninth concession Liverpool have conceded from a set piece in the Premier League this season.
“We had a productive three or four days’ preparation but in a game you are facing reality and the facts are we conceded a set piece in the opening period and a terrible goal at the start of the second half,” said the defender. “As a team, we're certainly letting him down, but we’ve let ourselves down as well. Start with self-reflection and then you help each other, you work together to escape of this crisis because at the present time it is a difficult situation – that's the reality.
Van Dijk’s Demands: Take Responsibility
The skipper usually speaks the media after a game as part of his duties as team leader. This time was distinct, however. He spoke was much louder – so loud that any player in the Anfield tunnel could listen in – and he expressed visible fury while challenging the dressing room to respond. “Anger is justified,” he insisted. “The main thing for me is that everyone has to be accountable.” When questioned whether this is occurring, Van Dijk replied: “I don’t know. But you have to do that. It’s the main thing I want the boys to do. It’s not easy during tough periods but we must act if we want to get out of this.”
Summer Signings and Team Problems
The Merseyside club invested almost £450m to replenish a championship-winning team in the off-season but have regressed, with new arrivals struggling to contribute so far. Van Dijk maintained that Liverpool’s problems extend past the new recruits. “It's difficult for everyone,” he said. “What I want is for everyone to take responsibility on the pitch. We have to do that in order to motivate one another, to make each other better. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the press. These are fundamentals but they're lacking enough.”
Appeal to Stick Together
The Dutchman continued: “In the current term we don’t have any steady form, we allow far too many goals, we are losing battles and all share the blame for it and I hope everyone sees that. We have to accept duty to reverse the situation and it is easy to point fingers but unity is essential. We have been through it together and won the league and all contributed, and when you go through a challenging phase you must remain united and not point fingers.
“You have to be a man and face the toughness and persist, repeatedly because if you want to give up then you are at the wrong place in my view, because Liverpool has been going through many adversity over those years and we’ve always come out of it. But it doesn’t mean it is easy, it’s exhausting but there is only one path forward.”
Next Fixtures
The upcoming match in the Premier League is a trip to West Ham next Sunday, after the midweek visit of PSV in the Champions League. He said: “Wednesday is another game so what am I going to do, go home and cry? No, I'll go home and try to think how we can improve results and hopefully that is the collective focus as well.”