Slot Provides Zero Justifications and Vows to Plot Route Out of Slump

Arne Slot declared he had to “examine my own performance” following Liverpool endured a sixth loss in 7 Premier League matches at home to Forest and insisted he would discover a solution from the champions’ poor run.

Nottingham Forest, fighting against the drop before kick off, delivered the largest victory at Liverpool's stadium in their club records as the Merseyside club fell to an 8th loss in 11 fixtures in all competitions. The British record signing, Alexander Isak, was again unnoticeable and the home side contended the defender's first goal should have been ruled out for similar reasons to the captain's disallowed effort versus Manchester City prior to the national team pause. But Slot conceded the buck stopped with him and made no excuses.

“Nobody wants to listen to me now speaking about refereeing decisions if you lose 3-0 at home to Forest,” stated the Liverpool head coach. “I ought to examine my own role first and my squad, but it does show you how a score can change the flow of a game. Before I was just waiting for us to score a goal. Later we barely generated any chances.

“Naturally there is a way out, particularly with the quality footballers 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 answerable when you are victorious but also responsible when you are defeated. I can not provide enough reasons for us to have the results we have. That is not good enough and I am to blame for that.”

The team's display unravelled as the coach made multiple attacking substitutions when chasing the game. “It was the identical on the road at Forest last season,” he said. “I substituted Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] off and put on the Portuguese forward and he found the net immediately to equalize at 1-1. At that time it was courageous, currently it’s probably unwise.”

Liverpool last lost back-to-back home Premier League fixtures by Forest in 1963. The last time they suffered consecutive league games by a 3-0 margin was in 1965.

Slot said: “It was very bad. Competing at home, conceding 3-0 regardless of which opponent you encounter is a terrible result. Surprising if you consider the first half-hour of the game. I haven’t seen us producing so many chances in the opening half-hour maybe the entire campaign, and the first time they arrived in our penalty area they found the back of the net.

“It wasn’t against Manchester City, but in all other game we have been the dominant side and were capable to generate opportunities. Lately it is almost consistently that we miss our chances and the ones we concede go in.”