Liverpool's Manager Provides No Excuses and Pledges to Plot Way Out of Malaise
Liverpool's head coach stated he had to “examine my own performance” following the Reds endured a sixth defeat in 7 English top-flight matches on their own turf against Nottingham Forest and affirmed he would find a solution out of the champions’ slump.
Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone before kick off, produced the biggest win at Anfield in their club records as Liverpool fell to an 8th loss in eleven matches in all competitions. The British record signing, the Swedish striker, was once more anonymous and Liverpool argued the defender's first goal should have been disallowed for similar reasons to Virgil van Dijk’s chalked-off goal versus Manchester City prior to the international break. But Slot admitted the responsibility stopped with him and made no excuses.
“Nobody wants to listen to me now talking about refereeing decisions if you lose 3-0 in your own stadium to Forest,” said the Reds' boss. “I should look at my own role initially and my team, but it demonstrates you how a goal can alter the flow of a game. Before I was just waiting for us to net a strike. Afterwards we barely created any chances.
“Naturally there is a path forward, especially with the quality footballers we have. Regardless if you triumph or lose when you reflect you are always thinking: ‘In which areas can we do better, where can we adjust?’ but that is something else from doubting yourself.
“I want to stress I am accountable for the present losses. You are responsible when you are winning but also liable when you are losing. I can never provide sufficient reasons for us to have the outcomes we have. That is far from good enough and I am to blame for that.”
Liverpool’s performance fell apart as Slot made multiple attacking changes when pursuing the game. “It was the same on the road at Forest last season,” he said. “I took Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] off and brought on [Diogo] Jota and he found the net immediately to make it 1-1. Then it was courageous, currently it’s likely stupid.”
Liverpool previously were defeated in back-to-back at Anfield Premier League games by Nottingham Forest in 1963. The last time they lost consecutive league games by a three-goal scoreline was in 1965.
Slot said: “It was extremely poor. Competing at home, conceding 3-0 no matter which team you face is a terrible result. Unexpected if you consider the opening 30 minutes of the match. I haven’t seen us producing so many chances in the initial half-hour maybe the entire 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 side and were able to create chances. Recently it is almost constantly that we miss our chances and the ones we allow go in.”