Liverpool's Manager Provides Zero Justifications and Vows to Find Way Out of Slump
Arne Slot stated he had to “examine my own performance” following the Reds endured a sixth loss in 7 English top-flight matches at home against Forest and affirmed he would discover a way from the title holders' poor run.
Nottingham Forest, fighting against the drop prior to the match, produced the biggest victory at Anfield in their history as the Merseyside club slipped to an eighth loss in eleven fixtures in all competitions. The most expensive domestic acquisition, Alexander Isak, was again unnoticeable and Liverpool argued the defender's first goal should have been ruled out for comparable grounds to the captain's disallowed effort against City prior to the international break. But Slot admitted the buck stopped with him and made no excuses.
“No one wishes to listen to me now speaking about officiating calls if you lose 3-0 in your own stadium to Nottingham Forest,” stated the Liverpool head coach. “I ought to examine my own role first and my squad, but it does show you how a goal can change the flow of a game. Earlier I was just hoping for us to score a strike. Afterwards we barely created anything.
“Naturally there is a way out, particularly with the talented players we have. Regardless if you triumph or are beaten when you look back you are always thinking: ‘Where can we do better, in what aspects can we make changes?’ but that is different from doubting your abilities.
“I want to emphasise I am accountable for the present losses. You are answerable when you are victorious but also liable when you are losing. I can not come up with sufficient excuses for us to have the outcomes we have. That is far from good enough and I am to blame for that.”
The team's display fell apart as Slot introduced several attacking changes when pursuing the match. “It was the same away at Nottingham Forest last season,” he said. “I substituted the French defender off and put on the Portuguese forward and he found the net immediately to make it 1-1. Then it was courageous, currently it’s probably stupid.”
The Anfield side last lost back-to-back home league games by Nottingham Forest in 1963. The most recent occasion they lost back-to-back top-flight matches by a 3-0 scoreline was in 1965.
The manager commented: “It was extremely poor. Competing on home soil, losing 3-0 no matter which team you encounter is a very, very bad outcome. Surprising if you look at the first half-hour of the game. I did not witness us producing so much in the opening 30 minutes perhaps the whole campaign, and the first time they arrived in our penalty area they scored.
“It wasn’t at City, but in all other game we have been the controlling team and were able to generate opportunities. Recently it is nearly constantly that we miss our opportunities and the ones we concede go in.”