Slot Offers No Excuses and Vows to Find Route From Slump
Arne Slot declared he had to “examine my own performance” after the Reds suffered a sixth loss in 7 English top-flight matches at home to Forest and insisted he would find a solution from the champions’ poor run.
Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone before kick off, delivered the biggest win at Liverpool's stadium in their club records as Liverpool slipped to an eighth loss in 11 fixtures in every tournament. The British record signing, Alexander Isak, was once more anonymous and the home side contended the defender's first goal ought to have been ruled out for comparable grounds to Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed effort versus City prior to the national team pause. But Slot conceded the responsibility stopped with him and offered no alibis.
“Nobody wishes to listen to me now talking about refereeing decisions if you are defeated 3-0 in your own stadium to Forest,” stated the Liverpool head coach. “I should look at my own role initially and my squad, but it does show you how a goal can change the momentum of a game. Earlier I was just hoping for us to net a goal. Later we hardly generated any chances.
“Of course there is a path forward, particularly with the quality footballers we have. No matter if you win or are beaten when you look back you are always thinking: ‘In which areas can we improve, where can we adjust?’ but that is something else from doubting yourself.
“I wish to stress I am accountable for the current defeats. You are answerable when you are victorious 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 far from acceptable and I am to blame for that.”
Liverpool’s display fell apart as Slot made several attacking changes when chasing the game. “It was the same away at Nottingham Forest the previous campaign,” he remarked. “I substituted Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] out and brought on [Diogo] Jota and he found the net immediately to make it 1-1. Then it was courageous, currently it’s likely unwise.”
Liverpool last lost back-to-back home Premier League games by Nottingham Forest in 1963. The last time they lost back-to-back top-flight matches by a 3-0 margin was in the mid-60s.
The manager said: “It was very bad. Playing at home, losing 3-0 regardless of which team you face is a very, very bad result. Unexpected if you consider the first half-hour of the match. I haven’t seen us producing so many chances in the opening half-hour maybe the entire season, and the first time they entered in our box they scored.
“It did not happen at City, but in every other fixture we have been the controlling team and were able to generate opportunities. Lately it is nearly constantly that we fail to convert our chances and the ones we allow go in.”