Slot Provides No Excuses and Pledges to Plot Route Out of Malaise
Arne Slot declared he needed to “examine my own performance” after Liverpool endured a sixth defeat in seven Premier League games on their own turf to Nottingham Forest and affirmed he would discover a way from the title holders' poor run.
Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone before kick off, produced the largest victory at Anfield in their club records as Liverpool slipped to an eighth defeat in 11 matches in every tournament. The British record signing, Alexander Isak, was once more anonymous and the home side contended Murillo’s opener ought to have been disallowed for similar reasons to the captain's chalked-off goal versus City prior to the international break. But the manager admitted the buck stopped with him and made no excuses.
“Nobody wishes to listen to me now talking about officiating calls if you lose 3-0 in your own stadium to Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I should examine my own role first and my team, but it does show you how a score can alter the flow of a match. Before I was just hoping for us to score a strike. Afterwards we hardly created anything.
“Of course there is a way out, particularly with the quality footballers we have. Regardless if you win or lose when you reflect you are always thinking: ‘In which areas can we do better, where can we make changes?’ but that is different from doubting your abilities.
“I wish to emphasise I am accountable for the present defeats. You are responsible when you are victorious but also responsible when you are losing. I can never provide enough excuses for us to have the outcomes we have. That is far from good enough and I am to blame for that.”
Liverpool’s performance unravelled as Slot introduced several offensive changes when pursuing the match. “It was the same away at Nottingham Forest the previous campaign,” he said. “I took Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] out and put on [Diogo] Jota and he found the net straight away to make it 1-1. Then it was brave, now it’s likely unwise.”
The Anfield side last lost two successive home league fixtures against Forest in 1963. The last time they suffered back-to-back league games by a 3-0 margin was in the mid-60s.
Slot commented: “It was extremely poor. Playing at home, losing 3-0 no matter which opponent you face is a terrible outcome. Surprising if you consider the opening 30 minutes of the match. I did not witness us producing so much in the opening 30 minutes perhaps the entire campaign, and the first time they entered in our penalty area they found the back of the net.
“It did not happen against Manchester City, but in all other fixture we have been the controlling team and were capable to create chances. Recently it is nearly constantly that we miss our opportunities and the attempts we allow find the net.”