Slot Offers Zero Justifications and Pledges to Find Way From Malaise
Arne Slot stated he needed to “examine my own performance” after Liverpool endured a sixth loss in 7 English top-flight games on their own turf against Nottingham Forest and affirmed he would discover a way out of the champions’ slump.
Forest, fighting against the drop prior to the match, produced the largest victory at Anfield in their history as Liverpool fell to an 8th loss in 11 fixtures in every tournament. The most expensive domestic acquisition, Alexander Isak, was again anonymous and the home side contended the defender's first goal should have been disallowed for similar reasons to the captain's disallowed effort against City prior to the national team pause. But Slot conceded the buck stopped with him and offered no alibis.
“Nobody wants to hear me now talking about officiating calls if you are defeated 3-0 in your own stadium to Nottingham Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I should look at my own role first and my team, but it demonstrates you how a score can alter the momentum of a game. Before I was just hoping for us to score a goal. Later we barely created anything.
“Of course there is a way out, especially with the talented players we have. Regardless if you triumph or lose when you reflect you are always thinking: ‘In which areas can we improve, in what aspects can we adjust?’ but that is different from doubting yourself.
“I wish to stress I am accountable for the current 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 performance unravelled as Slot made several offensive changes when pursuing the game. “It was the same away at Nottingham Forest last season,” he remarked. “I took the French defender off and brought on [Diogo] Jota and he found the net straight away to equalize at 1-1. Then it was brave, currently it’s likely stupid.”
Liverpool last lost back-to-back at Anfield Premier League fixtures by Forest in 1963. The last time they suffered consecutive top-flight matches by a three-goal margin was in the mid-60s.
The manager said: “It was extremely poor. Competing at home, losing 3-0 regardless of which opponent you face is a terrible result. Surprising if you look at the opening 30 minutes of the game. I haven’t seen us producing so much in the opening half-hour perhaps the whole campaign, and the first time they arrived in our penalty area they scored.
“It wasn’t against Manchester City, but in all other fixture we have been the dominant side and were capable to generate chances. Recently it is nearly consistently that we miss our chances and the ones we allow find the net.”