Van Dijk repeats Slot dig at Nottingham Forest as Liverpool teammate makes embarrassing history | OneFootball

Virgil van Dijk did not hold back in his assessment of Liverpool, echoing the sentiment of Arne Slot last year after a teammate made embarrassing history.

Liverpool were thrashed 3-0 by Nottingham Forest at Anfield as they slipped into the bottom half of the Premier League table in an increasingly troubled defence of their title.

The Opta Joe X timeline has become something of a goldmine, with such nuggets as this being the first time Liverpool have lost back-to-back league games by a margin of at least three goals since 1965, and them being only the fourth defending champions in Premier League history to lose at least half of their first 12 games.

Van Dijk was once more entirely powerless to prevent Liverpool being turned over yet again – only Burnley, West Ham and Wolves have conceded more league goals so far this season – and he accepted that the Reds have a “problem”. Arne Slot certainly does.

“We concede too many easy goals,” Van Dijk told Premier League Productions.

“They scored obviously from a set piece again. You can ask if he was in front of Alisson, but it counted, so we’re 1-0 down.”

That was a nod to Murillo’s opener, the centre-half’s finish from ten yards out after a corner having left Alisson stranded with the offside Dan Ndoye stood in front of him.

It was, however, decided that Ndoye had not obscured the Liverpool goalkeeper’s view in a call which might nevertheless have infuriated the Reds after Van Dijk had a potential equaliser against Manchester City disallowed before the international break in similar circumstances.

“We were not good in terms of battles, challenges, the fight, too rushed,” Van Dijk continued.

“It’s a very difficult situation at the moment. There was nervousness after we conceded, but not before. We tried to rush things and that’s human when you’re in a difficult moment.

“We cleared the ones before and in the end, we’re in a very difficult moment. We don’t get out of it by just speaking about it. It will take a lot of hard work.

“It’s a problem. Everyone in the team has to take responsibility as well. Football is a team and everyone has to take responsibility. We have to digest this and take it on the chin. We need to work harder. We have to keep going.

“Everyone is disappointed, like they should be, because losing at home to Nottingham Forest is, in my eyes, very bad. That’s the least I can say about it.”

That sounds an awful lot like September 2024 Arne Slot, doesn’t it? Perhaps they should simply stop losing at home to Nottingham Forest.

“Those goals we conceded are far too easy and we all have to look in the mirror. I’ve been at this club so long now and we’ve been through adversity. We will bounce back but it doesn’t happen overnight. I’m not a quitter and we will keep going.

“I can’t decide what the supporters are doing if they leave early. I know the fans have been through thick and thin with us. They will be there with us when we come out of this because we will come out of this.”

Slot will come under increased pressure after that result and performance, with his decision to start a half-fit Alexander Isak one of a few particularly questionable calls.

Isak became the first player ever to lose on his first four Premier League starts for Liverpool. It has gone well.