Slot Provides Zero Justifications and Vows to Plot Route From Malaise
Arne Slot declared he had to “look at myself” following Liverpool suffered a sixth loss in 7 English top-flight games at home against Nottingham Forest and insisted he would find a solution out of the champions’ poor run.
Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone prior to the match, produced the biggest win at Liverpool's stadium in their history as Liverpool slipped to an eighth loss in 11 fixtures in every tournament. The most expensive domestic acquisition, the Swedish striker, was once more unnoticeable and Liverpool argued the defender's first goal ought to have been disallowed for comparable grounds to Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed effort versus City before the international break. But Slot admitted the responsibility stopped with him and made no excuses.
“Nobody wishes to hear me now speaking about officiating calls if you lose 3-0 at home to Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I should examine my own role first and my team, but it demonstrates you how a goal can alter the momentum of a game. Earlier I was just waiting for us to score a goal. Afterwards we barely created anything.
“Of course there is a path forward, particularly with the quality players we have. No matter if you triumph or lose when you look back you are always thinking: ‘Where can we do better, where can we make changes?’ but that is something else from doubting your abilities.
“I wish to emphasise I am accountable for the current defeats. You are answerable when you are winning but also responsible when you are losing. I can not come up with enough reasons for us to have the results we have. That is not acceptable and I am responsible for that.”
The team's performance unravelled as Slot introduced multiple attacking substitutions when pursuing the match. “It was the same away at Forest last season,” he said. “I substituted the French defender out and put on [Diogo] Jota and he found the net straight away to make it 1-1. At that time it was brave, currently it’s likely stupid.”
Liverpool last lost back-to-back at Anfield Premier League fixtures by Forest in 1963. The most recent occasion they lost back-to-back top-flight matches by a three-goal margin was in the mid-60s.
The manager said: “It was very bad. Competing on home soil, losing 3-0 no matter which team you encounter is a terrible outcome. Surprising if you look at the opening 30 minutes of the match. I did not witness us creating so much in the opening 30 minutes perhaps the whole season, and the first time they entered in our penalty area they found the back of the net.
“It wasn’t against Manchester City, but in every other game we have been the dominant team and were capable to create chances. Lately it is nearly consistently that we miss our opportunities and the ones we allow find the net.”