Slot Provides No Excuses and Pledges to Plot Route From Malaise
Arne Slot declared he had to “look at myself” following the Reds endured a 6th defeat in 7 Premier League matches on their own turf against Nottingham Forest and affirmed he would discover a solution out of the title holders' slump.
Forest, fighting against the drop prior to the match, delivered the largest win at Anfield in their club records as the Merseyside club slipped to an eighth loss in eleven fixtures in all competitions. The most expensive domestic acquisition, Alexander Isak, was again anonymous and the home side argued Murillo’s first goal ought to have been ruled out for similar reasons to the captain's disallowed effort against Manchester City prior to the international break. But the manager conceded the buck rested with him and made no excuses.
“Nobody wants to hear me now talking about officiating calls if you are defeated 3-0 in your own stadium to Nottingham Forest,” stated the Reds' boss. “I should look at myself first and my squad, but it demonstrates you how a goal can change the flow of a match. Before I was just hoping for us to net a goal. Afterwards we hardly created any chances.
“Naturally there is a way out, particularly with the quality players we have. Regardless if you triumph or are beaten when you reflect you are always considering: ‘In which areas can we do better, in what aspects can we adjust?’ but that is something else from questioning yourself.
“I wish to stress I am responsible for the present losses. You are responsible when you are winning but also liable when you are defeated. I can never come up with enough reasons for us to have the results we have. That is not acceptable and I am responsible for that.”
Liverpool’s display fell apart as the coach introduced multiple attacking changes when chasing the game. “It was the identical away at Nottingham Forest the previous campaign,” he said. “I took Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] out and brought on the Portuguese forward and he scored straight away to equalize at 1-1. At that time it was brave, currently it’s likely unwise.”
Liverpool last lost two successive at Anfield league games by Forest in 1963. The last time they lost consecutive top-flight matches by a three-goal scoreline was in 1965.
Slot said: “It was extremely poor. Playing on home soil, conceding 3-0 regardless of which team you encounter is a very, very bad result. Surprising if you consider the first half-hour of the match. I haven’t seen us creating so much in the opening half-hour maybe the whole season, and the first time they arrived in our penalty area they scored.
“It did not happen at City, but in all other game we have been the controlling side and were capable to create opportunities. Lately it is nearly consistently that we fail to convert our opportunities and the ones we concede find the net.”