Liverpool's Manager Provides Zero Justifications and Vows to Plot Route From Slump

Arne Slot declared he had to “look at myself” after Liverpool suffered a 6th loss in seven English top-flight matches at home to Nottingham Forest and insisted he would discover a way from the title holders' slump.

Nottingham Forest, fighting against the drop before kick off, produced the biggest win at Liverpool's stadium in their club records as Liverpool slipped to an 8th loss in eleven matches in every tournament. The most expensive domestic acquisition, the Swedish striker, was once more anonymous and Liverpool argued Murillo’s opener should have been disallowed for similar reasons to Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed effort against City before the national team pause. But Slot admitted the responsibility stopped with him and made no excuses.

“No one wishes to listen to me now speaking about officiating calls if you are defeated 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest,” stated the Liverpool head coach. “I should look at myself initially and my squad, but it demonstrates you how a score can change the momentum of a match. Before I was just waiting for us to net a goal. Later we barely generated anything.

“Naturally there is a way out, particularly with the talented players we have. Regardless if you triumph or lose when you look back you are always considering: ‘In which areas can we do better, in what aspects can we make changes?’ but that is something else from questioning yourself.

“I wish to emphasise I am accountable for the present defeats. You are answerable when you are winning but also responsible when you are defeated. 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.”

The team's performance fell apart as the coach introduced multiple offensive changes when chasing the match. “It was the same on the road at Forest last season,” he said. “I substituted Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] out and put on [Diogo] Jota and he found the net immediately to make it 1-1. Then it was brave, currently it’s likely unwise.”

The Anfield side last lost back-to-back at Anfield Premier League fixtures against Forest in 1963. The last time they lost back-to-back top-flight games by a 3-0 scoreline was in 1965.

Slot said: “It was extremely poor. Playing at home, losing 3-0 no matter which opponent you face is a very, very bad outcome. Surprising if you consider the opening 30 minutes of the game. I did not witness us creating so many chances in the initial half-hour maybe the whole season, and the initial occasion they arrived in our penalty area they scored.

“It wasn’t at City, but in every other fixture we have been the controlling team and were able to generate opportunities. Lately it is almost consistently that we miss our chances and the attempts we allow go in.”

Christopher Peterson
Christopher Peterson

Astrophysicist and science communicator passionate about making space accessible through engaging stories and research.