Liverpool's Struggles: Van Dijk Calls for Collective Responsibility
- mrwedwards
- Nov 23, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 1, 2025
A Season in Crisis
Virgil van Dijk has raised concerns about whether the Liverpool squad is taking collective responsibility to pull Arne Slot's side out of a "mess." The captain acknowledges that this situation should not be happening to the defending Premier League champions.
He believes that any player lacking the desire to fight through the current adversity is in the "wrong place" at Anfield. Van Dijk admits that the team is letting down their head coach.
The Reds recently hit a new low in a torturous season when they were beaten 3-0 at home by lowly Nottingham Forest. This defeat matched the margin of their heaviest-ever home Premier League loss and marked a sixth defeat in their last seven top-flight games.
It is the first time since 1965 that they have lost successive league matches by a margin of at least three goals, having also been thumped by the same scoreline at Manchester City a fortnight ago.
A Shift in the League Standings
Liverpool now finds themselves in the bottom half of the table for the first time in a decade. The pressure is mounting on Slot to halt this decline, prompting discussions about potential changes in the dugout.
Van Dijk has been candid when discussing the poor form of the Anfield side and their support for the head coach. He stated, "We are definitely letting him down, but we've let ourselves down as well."
He emphasized the importance of self-reflection: "You look at yourself first, and then you help each other get out of this mess because at the moment it is a mess – that's just a fact."
"As the champions, we can't be in the situation we are in right now, but it's a fact. What are we going to do about it? We're going to try to turn it around, and that's the mentality everyone should have."
The Mood in the Dressing Room
When asked about the mood in the dressing room after the Forest defeat, Van Dijk responded, “Yeah, you should be angry. The main thing for me is that everyone has to take responsibility."
He questioned whether players were doing that, stating, "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 difficult times, but we have to do it if we want to get out of this."
Van Dijk stressed the need for accountability on the pitch: "We have to do that in order to push each other, to make each other better. When someone is pressing, you have to follow the press."
He noted that basic principles are not being followed: "It's basic things, but it's not happening enough. We have to get back to that. It's easy to maybe just think about your own situation rather than the collective side when things are not going well."
Reflecting on Past Success
Van Dijk reflected on last season, saying, "Thinking about last year, which I don't like to do that much, we had a new manager, and no one knew what to expect. The consistency we had was incredible."
He lamented the current lack of consistency: "This season we don't have any consistency. We concede far too many goals, we are losing battles, and everyone is responsible for it. I hope everyone sees that."
He continued, “We have to take responsibility to turn this around. It is easy to point fingers, but you have to do it together. We have been through it together and won the league. Everyone was part of it and happy. When you go through a tough time, you have to stick together and not point fingers."
The Road Ahead
Van Dijk emphasized the importance of resilience: “You have to be a man and face the toughness and go again, again and again. If you want to give up, then you are at the wrong place in my eyes. This club has been through many adversities over the years, and we've always come out of it."
He acknowledged the challenges ahead: "But it doesn't mean it is easy. It's tiring, but there is no other way. Wednesday (against PSV Eindhoven at home in the Champions League) is another game. So what am I going to do? Go home and cry? No, I'm going to go home and try to think about how we can turn this around. Hopefully, that is what everyone is doing as well."
Liverpool had 74% possession against Forest but managed only four shots on target from 21 attempts. They have now failed to score in consecutive league games for the first time since February 2023.
Accepting the Reality
Van Dijk shared his thoughts on the team's performance: “We conceded, and panic kicks in. As a team, you have to try to stay calm and do the right things. But we didn't do that, and that's hard to accept. We were nervous in the way we played. We were trying to force things."
He criticized the team's second-half performance: “The way we started the second half was just unacceptable. Going into half-time, you discuss what you want to do in the second half. Then to concede such an easy goal and find yourself 2-0 down, it's a totally different story. It's difficult."
He concluded, “You have to be mentally strong and keep going. You have to find the calmness to create chances and be clinical in front of goal. But we didn't do that, and Forest were also physically winning so many battles against us."
Overall, it was a very disappointing afternoon, and Van Dijk acknowledged, “It's hard to take. The reality is we are in a very difficult moment."
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