Slot Provides Zero Justifications and Pledges to Find Way Out of Malaise

Arne Slot stated he needed to “examine my own performance” after Liverpool endured a sixth loss in 7 English top-flight matches at home against Nottingham Forest and insisted he would find a way out of the title holders' slump.

Forest, fighting against the drop prior to the match, produced the largest victory at Liverpool's stadium in their history as Liverpool slipped to an 8th defeat in 11 fixtures in every tournament. The British record signing, Alexander Isak, was again anonymous and the home side argued Murillo’s first goal should have been ruled out for comparable grounds to Virgil van Dijk’s chalked-off goal against Manchester City before the international break. But Slot conceded the buck stopped with him and offered no alibis.

“Nobody wants to listen to me now speaking about refereeing decisions if you lose 3-0 in your own stadium to Forest,” stated the Liverpool head coach. “I ought to examine my own role first and my squad, but it does show you how a score can alter the momentum of a match. Earlier I was just waiting for us to score a goal. Later we barely generated anything.

“Naturally there is a path forward, especially with the quality footballers we have. No matter 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 something else from doubting your abilities.

“I wish to stress I am accountable for the present defeats. You are answerable when you are winning but also liable when you are defeated. I can never come up with sufficient reasons for us to have the results we have. That is not acceptable and I am to blame for that.”

The team's display unravelled as Slot introduced several attacking changes when pursuing the game. “It was the same away at Nottingham Forest last season,” he said. “I substituted Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] out and brought on the Portuguese forward and he scored immediately to make it 1-1. At that time it was courageous, now it’s likely stupid.”

The Anfield side last lost two successive at Anfield league fixtures by Nottingham Forest in 1963. The most recent occasion they lost consecutive league matches by a three-goal scoreline was in the mid-60s.

The manager commented: “It was extremely poor. Competing at home, conceding 3-0 regardless of which team you encounter is a very, very bad result. Unexpected if you look at the first half-hour of the match. I haven’t seen us producing so many chances in the initial half-hour perhaps the whole campaign, and the first time they entered in our penalty area they scored.

“It wasn’t at City, but in all other fixture we have been the controlling side and were capable to create opportunities. Recently it is nearly constantly that we fail to convert our chances and the attempts we allow go in.”