Liverpool captain: We’ve let Slot down… and we must show “manhood”

Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool’s captain, described his team’s current situation this season as “a mess,” urging all players to take more responsibility and show “manhood,” while admitting they are letting down their Dutch manager Arne Slot.
Van Dijk’s strong comments came after Liverpool’s heavy 3–0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday — the team’s sixth loss in seven Premier League matches — which dropped the defending champions to 11th place.
Van Dijk said: “We are definitely letting Slot down, but we are also letting ourselves down. We need to look at ourselves first, then help each other get out of this mess, because right now, it’s a mess.”
He added: “As champions, we cannot be in this situation we’re in now. What are we going to do about it? We will try to turn things around — and that’s the mentality everyone must have.”
The Liverpool captain admitted there is anger in the dressing room, but stressed the team does not have time to point fingers, especially with a run of seven matches in 22 days.
He explained: “It’s easy to point fingers, but we have to do this together. What I want is for everyone to take responsibility on the pitch. We must do that to push each other to be better.”
Van Dijk urged his teammates to show “manhood,” saying:
“It’s easy to think only about your own situation when things aren’t going well. We must act like men, face the difficulty, and keep trying, because if you want to give up, then you’re in the wrong place in my opinion.”