Slot Offers No Excuses and Pledges to Find Route Out of Slump
Arne Slot stated he had to “examine my own performance” after Liverpool endured a 6th defeat in seven English top-flight games at home against Forest and insisted he would find a way out of the champions’ poor run.
Nottingham Forest, fighting against the drop before kick off, produced the largest victory at Anfield in their history as Liverpool fell to an eighth loss in 11 fixtures in all competitions. The most expensive domestic acquisition, the Swedish striker, was again anonymous and Liverpool contended Murillo’s first goal should have been disallowed for similar reasons to the captain's chalked-off goal versus Manchester City before the international break. But Slot admitted the responsibility stopped with him and made no excuses.
“Nobody wishes to listen to me now speaking about officiating calls if you are defeated 3-0 in your own stadium to Nottingham Forest,” said the Reds' boss. “I ought to look at myself initially and my team, but it demonstrates you how a score can change the flow of a game. Before I was just hoping for us to net a strike. Later we barely generated any chances.
“Naturally there is a way out, particularly with the talented players we have. No matter if you triumph or are beaten when you look back you are always thinking: ‘Where can we improve, in what aspects can we adjust?’ but that is something else from doubting your abilities.
“I wish to emphasise I am responsible for the present losses. You are answerable when you are winning but also responsible when you are defeated. I can not come up with enough excuses for us to have the results we have. That is far from acceptable and I am to blame for that.”
Liverpool’s display unravelled as the coach introduced several offensive substitutions when pursuing the match. “It was the identical away at Nottingham Forest the previous campaign,” he said. “I took Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] out and brought on [Diogo] Jota and he found the net immediately to make it 1-1. At that time it was brave, now it’s likely unwise.”
The Anfield side last lost two successive home Premier League fixtures against Nottingham Forest in 1963. The most recent occasion they suffered back-to-back top-flight games by a three-goal scoreline was in the mid-60s.
Slot commented: “It was very bad. Competing on home soil, conceding 3-0 regardless of which opponent you face is a very, very bad outcome. Unexpected if you consider the first half-hour of the game. I did not witness us producing so many chances in the opening half-hour maybe the entire campaign, and the first time they arrived in our box they found the back of the net.
“It wasn’t against Manchester City, but in all other fixture we have been the controlling side and were capable to generate opportunities. Lately it is nearly constantly that we miss our chances and the attempts we allow go in.”