A confusing narrative of responsibility has emerged at Anfield following Liverpool’s disastrous 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest, with captain Virgil van Dijk and manager Arne Slott publicly disagreeing over who is to blame for the club’s deepening crisis.
The Reds’ 2025/26 season ended on Saturday with their sixth loss in seven Premier League games, their lowest record ever, and they dropped to 11th in the table.
The atmosphere at Anfield was somber when Forest beat Liverpool, but the reaction after the game raised even more eyebrows.
Deviating from the usual united front, there was a clear disconnect in the post-match interviews, with both captain and manager attempting to defend their opponents by claiming full responsibility for the “chaos” the club was in.
Normally a show of solidarity, the contradictory statements highlight the confusion gripping the club at the moment, with neither the team nor the coaching staff able to pinpoint exactly why the title-defending side have collapsed so spectacularly.
Manager Van Dijk insists the responsibility lies with the players
Immediately after the humiliation at Anfield, a clearly frustrated Virgil van Dijk refused to let his manager take the fall, speaking to the press.
The Dutch defender, who was part of the backline that crumbled under Forest’s counterattack, insisted it was not the tactical setup that was the issue, but rather the team’s application and aspirations.
He said (via Liverpool Echo): “We conceded too many easy goals. They also obviously scored from set-pieces. You can ask if he was in front of Alisson, but it counted, so we’re 1-0 down. We weren’t good in terms of battle, challenge and battle. We rushed too much. It’s a very difficult situation at the moment.”
“We were nervous after we conceded the goal, but not before we conceded. We tried to hurry things up, but that’s how you are as a person when you’re in a difficult situation. We’ve cleared the previous game and in the end we’re in a very difficult situation. You can’t get out of this situation just by talking. It’s going to take a lot of effort. There was tension after we conceded.”
“That’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 have to try harder. We have to keep moving forward.”
“Everyone is disappointed, and rightly so, because losing at home to Nottingham Forest was a very poor result in my eyes, so that’s the least I can say about it.”
Slott claims he is responsible for the loss.
However, Arne Slott contradicted his captain’s assessment during a media assignment, saying the burden rested squarely on his shoulders.
Slott told the BBC: “If things go well or badly, it’s up to me. I didn’t create enough. I tried to adjust some things, but it didn’t work. I couldn’t score goals. You never know in this stadium. Sometimes if you score goals, things go well.”
Slott dismissed suggestions that his team lacked quality or effort, insisting the defeat was due to an inability to find the right adjustments. “I tried to adjust some things, but it didn’t work. I couldn’t make enough. It’s up to me to find a solution.”
Due to the looming possibility of dismissal, he will be given a slot until the new year.
Slott is willing to take responsibility, but Anfield bosses may soon make a decision on his behalf.
According to a reliable source, Liverpool’s leaders have their full support for Slott for now, but the Dutchman needs to turn things around by the new year or FSG will not hesitate to make a bold decision.
Liverpool’s upcoming matches until the new year:
- Liverpool vs PSV
- west ham vs liverpool
- Liverpool vs Sunderland
- Leeds vs Liverpool
- Inter Milan vs Liverpool
- liverpool vs brighton
- tottenham vs liverpool
- Liverpool vs Wolves
