Liverpool's Manager Offers No Excuses and Pledges to Plot Way From Slump

Arne Slot stated he needed to “examine my own performance” following Liverpool endured a 6th defeat in seven Premier League games at home against Forest and affirmed he would discover a way from the champions’ poor run.

Forest, in the relegation zone prior to the match, produced the largest win at Anfield in their history as Liverpool fell to an 8th loss in eleven fixtures in all competitions. The British record signing, Alexander Isak, was again anonymous and the home side contended the defender's first goal ought to have been disallowed for comparable grounds to Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed effort versus Manchester City before the national team pause. But Slot conceded the buck rested with him and made no excuses.

“Nobody wants to hear me now talking about refereeing decisions if you lose 3-0 in your own stadium to Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I should examine myself first and my team, but it demonstrates you how a goal can change the momentum of a match. Before I was just waiting for us to score a strike. Afterwards we hardly created anything.

“Naturally there is a path forward, particularly with the talented footballers we have. Regardless if you triumph or lose when you reflect you are always considering: ‘Where can we improve, where can we make changes?’ but that is something else from doubting yourself.

“I want to emphasise I am responsible for the current defeats. You are responsible when you are victorious but also responsible when you are defeated. I can never come up with enough 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 unravelled as the coach introduced multiple offensive changes when chasing the game. “It was the same away at Forest the previous campaign,” he said. “I substituted the French defender off and brought on [Diogo] Jota and he found the net immediately to equalize at 1-1. At that time it was brave, currently it’s probably unwise.”

The Anfield side last lost back-to-back at Anfield league games against Nottingham Forest in 1963. The last time they lost consecutive league games by a 3-0 margin was in the mid-60s.

Slot said: “It was very bad. Competing on home soil, conceding 3-0 regardless of which team you encounter is a very, very bad outcome. Unexpected if you consider the first half-hour of the game. I haven’t seen us producing so many chances in the initial half-hour perhaps the whole campaign, and the first time they entered in our penalty area they found the back of the net.

“It did not happen at City, but in all other game we have been the dominant side and were able to create chances. Recently it is nearly consistently that we fail to convert our opportunities and the attempts we concede go in.”

Sandra Lowe
Sandra Lowe

An environmental scientist and avid hiker who shares practical guides on eco-friendly living and wilderness exploration.