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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk says he and his team-mates are letting manager Arne Slot down – but backs the beleaguered champions to get out of what he calls a ‘mess’.
The Reds lost 3-0 on Saturday to Nottingham Forest in another bruising defeat, their eighth in 11 games to take them into the bottom half of the table as their Premier League title defence falls apart week by week.
Some fans booed at full-time and Van Dijk said: ‘We are definitely letting him (Slot) down but we've let ourselves down as well.
‘You look at yourself first and then you help each other, 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.’
Van Dijk insists he will not quit and will keep going. ‘The way we started the second half was just unacceptable,’ he said.
Virgil van Dijk says he and his Liverpool team-mates are letting manager Arne Slot down
The Reds slumped to their eighth defeat in 11 games against Notts Forest at Anfield yesterday
Struggling boss Slot took blame for the loss post-match but Liverpool's skipper believes the players can do more
‘Overall (it was) a very disappointing afternoon and something that is hard to take. It's the reality. I'm not a quitter. I will never quit. I will keep going but it doesn't mean it isn't tough to take.’
On the dressing room scene, Van Dijk said: ‘You should be angry. The main thing for me is that everyone has to take responsibility.
‘I don't know (if people are taking responsibility). 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. Tough day.’
Liverpool are back in action on Wednesday against PSV Eindhoven, a team that beat them last season, before a trip to West Ham on Sunday.
