Slot Offers No Excuses and Vows to Find Route Out of Slump
Arne Slot stated he needed to “look at myself” after Liverpool suffered a 6th defeat in 7 Premier League matches at home to Nottingham Forest and affirmed he would find a solution from the title holders' slump.
Nottingham Forest, fighting against the drop before kick off, produced the biggest win at Anfield in their club records as the Merseyside club fell to an 8th defeat in 11 fixtures in all competitions. The British record signing, the Swedish striker, was again anonymous and Liverpool contended Murillo’s first goal ought to have been ruled out for similar reasons to Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed effort against Manchester City before the international break. But Slot conceded the responsibility rested with him and made no excuses.
“Nobody wishes to hear me now talking about refereeing decisions if you lose 3-0 in your own stadium to Forest,” stated the Reds' boss. “I should look at my own role first and my squad, but it does show you how a score can alter the flow of a game. Before I was just waiting for us to score a goal. Later we hardly created anything.
“Naturally there is a way out, especially with the talented footballers we have. Regardless if you triumph or lose when you look back you are always considering: ‘In which areas can we do better, where can we make changes?’ but that is different from questioning yourself.
“I want to stress I am accountable for the current defeats. You are answerable when you are winning but also liable when you are defeated. I can never provide sufficient reasons for us to have the results we have. That is not good enough and I am to blame for that.”
Liverpool’s display fell apart as the coach introduced several offensive substitutions when pursuing the game. “It was the same on the road at Forest last season,” he said. “I substituted the French defender off and put on the Portuguese forward and he scored immediately to equalize at 1-1. At that time it was brave, currently it’s likely stupid.”
The Anfield side previously were defeated in back-to-back at Anfield league games by Nottingham Forest in 1963. The most recent occasion they lost consecutive league matches by a three-goal margin was in 1965.
The manager commented: “It was extremely poor. Competing at home, conceding 3-0 regardless of which team you face is a terrible 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 maybe the whole season, and the first time they entered in our box they scored.
“It wasn’t at City, but in all other fixture we have been the dominant side and were capable to generate chances. Lately it is almost constantly that we miss our opportunities and the ones we allow go in.”
