Slot Provides No Excuses and Vows to Plot Route From Slump
Arne Slot declared he needed to “examine my own performance” following the Reds endured a sixth defeat in 7 Premier League games on their own turf against Nottingham Forest and affirmed he would discover a solution from the champions’ slump.
Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone prior to the match, produced the biggest win at Anfield in their history as Liverpool slipped to an 8th defeat in eleven matches in all competitions. The most expensive domestic acquisition, Alexander Isak, was again anonymous and Liverpool contended Murillo’s opener ought to have been disallowed for similar reasons to the captain's disallowed effort against Manchester City prior to the international break. But Slot conceded the buck rested with him and made no excuses.
“Nobody wants to hear me now speaking about refereeing decisions if you are defeated 3-0 in your own stadium to Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I should look at myself initially and my squad, but it does show you how a goal can alter the flow of a game. Earlier I was just hoping for us to score a goal. Later we hardly created anything.
“Of course there is a way out, particularly with the quality footballers we have. Regardless if you triumph or are beaten when you look back 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 responsible for the current defeats. You are responsible when you are winning but also liable when you are defeated. I can not provide sufficient reasons for us to have the outcomes we have. That is far from good enough and I am responsible for that.”
The team's performance unravelled as the coach made multiple attacking substitutions when pursuing the match. “It was the same away at Nottingham Forest last season,” he said. “I took the French defender out and put on the Portuguese forward and he found the net immediately to equalize at 1-1. At that time it was courageous, currently it’s likely unwise.”
Liverpool last lost two successive at Anfield Premier League games by Forest in 1963. The last time they suffered consecutive top-flight games by a three-goal margin was in 1965.
The manager commented: “It was very bad. Playing at home, losing 3-0 no matter which team you face is a very, very bad result. Surprising if you consider the opening 30 minutes of the game. I did not witness us creating so much in the opening 30 minutes maybe the entire campaign, and the first time they arrived in our penalty area they scored.
“It wasn’t against Manchester City, but in every other fixture we have been the controlling side and were capable to generate opportunities. Lately it is almost consistently that we miss our chances and the ones we allow find the net.”