Liverpool's Manager Offers Zero Justifications and Pledges to Plot Way Out of Slump
Arne Slot declared he needed to “look at myself” following the Reds suffered a 6th loss in seven English top-flight games on their own turf to Nottingham Forest and insisted he would find a solution from the champions’ slump.
Nottingham Forest, fighting against the drop prior to the match, delivered the biggest victory at Anfield in their history as Liverpool fell to an 8th defeat in eleven matches in all competitions. The British record signing, Alexander Isak, was again anonymous and the home side contended Murillo’s first goal should have been ruled out for comparable grounds to the captain's chalked-off goal versus City before the national team pause. But Slot admitted the buck rested with him and offered no alibis.
“No one wishes to hear me now talking about refereeing decisions if you are defeated 3-0 at home to Forest,” said the Reds' boss. “I should examine myself first and my squad, but it does show you how a goal can alter the momentum of a game. Earlier I was just hoping for us to net a strike. Afterwards we barely generated anything.
“Naturally there is a way out, especially with the quality players we have. Regardless 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 yourself.
“I want to emphasise I am responsible for the present defeats. You are responsible when you are victorious but also liable when you are defeated. I can not come up with sufficient reasons for us to have the results we have. That is far from good enough and I am to blame for that.”
Liverpool’s display fell apart as Slot made multiple offensive changes when pursuing the game. “It was the same on the road at Nottingham Forest the previous campaign,” he remarked. “I substituted Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] out and put on the Portuguese forward and he found the net immediately to make it 1-1. Then it was brave, currently it’s likely stupid.”
The Anfield side last lost two successive home league games by Nottingham Forest in the sixties. The most recent occasion they lost consecutive league games by a three-goal scoreline was in 1965.
The manager said: “It was extremely poor. Playing at home, losing 3-0 no matter which opponent you encounter is a terrible result. Unexpected if you consider the first half-hour of the game. I haven’t seen us creating so many chances in the initial half-hour perhaps the whole campaign, and the first time they arrived in our penalty area they found the back of the net.
“It did not happen against Manchester City, but in all other game we have been the controlling side and were capable to create chances. Lately it is nearly consistently that we fail to convert our chances and the attempts we concede go in.”