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Liverpool a 'mess' says Van Dijk / Photo: Darren Staples - AFP
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Liverpool a 'mess' says Van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk said Liverpool's players are letting manager Arne Slot down after the Premier League champions' collapse continued with a 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool have lost six of their last seven league games to slide into the bottom half of the table, putting Slot under pressure after the club's record spend of nearly £450 million ($590 million) in the transfer market.
"We are definitely letting him (Slot) down but we've let ourselves down as well," said Van Dijk.
"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. 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."
None of Liverpool's big money summer signings have yet to make a positive impact.
Alexander Isak, who cost a British transfer record £125 million, is still to score a league goal for the Reds and looked a shadow of the player he was at Newcastle during an ineffectual 68 minutes against Forest.
But many of last season's title winners have also suffered a slump in form with Van Dijk's centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate also replaced early by Slot after another poor performance.
"What I want is for everyone to take responsibility on the pitch. We have to do that in order to push each other, to make each other better," added Van Dijk.
"We have been through it together and won the league and everyone was part of it and happy and when you go through a tough time you have to stick together and not point fingers.
"You have to be a man and face the toughness and go again, again and again because if you want to give up then you are at the wrong place in my eyes because this club has gone through much adversity over those years and we've always come out of it."
Liverpool's form in the Champions League has been much better with three wins from four games.
The return to European competition could offer some relief for Slot's men when PSV Eindhoven visit Anfield in Liverpool's next outing on Wednesday.
T.Cusumano--INP
