Slot Provides Zero Justifications and Vows to Plot Way Out of Malaise

Arne Slot declared he had to “look at myself” after Liverpool suffered a sixth loss in 7 English top-flight matches on their own turf against Nottingham Forest and affirmed he would discover a solution from the champions’ poor run.

Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone prior to the match, delivered the biggest win at Liverpool's stadium in their club records as Liverpool slipped to an 8th loss in 11 fixtures in all competitions. The most expensive domestic acquisition, Alexander Isak, was once more anonymous and Liverpool contended the defender's opener ought to have been disallowed for similar reasons to the captain's disallowed effort versus Manchester City before the international break. But Slot conceded the responsibility rested with him and offered no alibis.

“Nobody wants to hear me now talking about officiating calls if you lose 3-0 at home to Forest,” stated the Liverpool head coach. “I should examine my own role first and my team, but it does show you how a goal can change the momentum of a match. Before I was just waiting for us to net a goal. Later we barely created any chances.

“Naturally there is a way out, especially with the quality players we have. No matter if you triumph or are beaten when you look back you are always thinking: ‘In which areas can we do better, in what aspects can we adjust?’ but that is different from questioning yourself.

“I want to emphasise I am responsible for the present defeats. You are responsible when you are winning but also responsible when you are defeated. I can not come up with sufficient excuses for us to have the outcomes we have. That is not acceptable and I am responsible for that.”

Liverpool’s performance unravelled as Slot introduced multiple offensive changes when pursuing the game. “It was the same on the road at Forest the previous campaign,” he said. “I took Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] out and brought on [Diogo] Jota and he found the net immediately to equalize at 1-1. At that time it was courageous, now it’s probably unwise.”

The Anfield side last lost two successive at Anfield league games by Forest in 1963. The most recent occasion they lost consecutive top-flight matches by a 3-0 scoreline was in the mid-60s.

Slot said: “It was very bad. Competing on home soil, conceding 3-0 regardless of which team you face is a very, very bad outcome. Unexpected if you consider the opening 30 minutes of the match. I did not witness us producing so much in the opening half-hour perhaps the whole season, and the initial occasion they entered in our box they found the back of the net.

“It did not happen against Manchester 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 ones we concede find the net.”