Slot Provides Zero Justifications and Pledges to Find Way From Slump
Arne Slot stated he needed to “examine my own performance” following the Reds suffered a 6th defeat in 7 English top-flight games at home to Nottingham Forest and insisted he would find a way out of the champions’ slump.
Forest, in the relegation zone prior to the match, delivered the biggest victory at Anfield in their history as Liverpool slipped to an 8th defeat in eleven matches in every tournament. The British record signing, Alexander Isak, was once more anonymous and the home side argued Murillo’s opener should have been ruled out for comparable grounds to the captain's disallowed effort versus Manchester City before the international break. But Slot conceded the buck rested with him and offered no alibis.
“No one wishes to listen to me now talking about officiating calls if you are defeated 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I ought to examine my own role initially 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. Afterwards we hardly generated anything.
“Naturally there is a way out, particularly with the quality footballers we have. Regardless if you triumph or lose when you look back you are always considering: ‘Where can we improve, in what aspects can we adjust?’ but that is something else from doubting your abilities.
“I want to stress I am responsible for the current defeats. You are answerable when you are victorious but also responsible when you are losing. I can not come up with enough excuses for us to have the outcomes we have. That is far from acceptable and I am responsible for that.”
Liverpool’s display unravelled as the coach introduced several attacking changes when chasing the match. “It was the identical on the road at Nottingham Forest the previous campaign,” he remarked. “I substituted the French defender off and brought on the Portuguese forward and he scored immediately to equalize at 1-1. Then it was brave, now it’s probably unwise.”
Liverpool last lost two successive home league games by Nottingham Forest in 1963. The most recent occasion they lost back-to-back top-flight matches by a three-goal scoreline was in 1965.
Slot commented: “It was extremely poor. Competing on home soil, losing 3-0 no matter which team you encounter is a terrible result. Unexpected if you consider the opening 30 minutes of the match. I haven’t seen us creating so many chances in the initial half-hour perhaps the whole season, and the first time they entered in our box they scored.
“It wasn’t against Manchester City, but in all other fixture we have been the controlling side and were capable to generate opportunities. Recently it is nearly consistently that we miss our opportunities and the attempts we concede find the net.”