Liverpool's Manager Offers Zero Justifications and Vows to Find Way From Slump

Liverpool's head coach declared he needed to “look at myself” following Liverpool endured a 6th loss in seven Premier League matches on their own turf against Nottingham Forest and affirmed he would discover a solution out of the champions’ slump.

Forest, in the relegation zone before kick off, produced the largest victory at Liverpool's stadium in their history as the Merseyside club slipped to an eighth defeat in eleven fixtures in all competitions. The most expensive domestic acquisition, Alexander Isak, was again unnoticeable and the home side argued the defender's first goal ought to have been disallowed for similar reasons to Virgil van Dijk’s chalked-off goal against City prior to the national team pause. But Slot conceded the buck rested with him and offered no alibis.

“No one wants to hear me now talking about officiating calls if you are defeated 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I should look at myself first and my team, but it demonstrates you how a goal can change the flow of a match. Earlier I was just hoping for us to score a goal. Afterwards we barely created anything.

“Naturally there is a path forward, especially with the quality footballers we have. No matter if you win or are beaten when you reflect you are always considering: ‘Where can we do better, where can we make changes?’ but that is different from doubting your abilities.

“I wish to stress I am accountable for the current losses. You are answerable when you are winning but also liable when you are defeated. I can not provide sufficient excuses for us to have the outcomes we have. That is not acceptable and I am responsible for that.”

Liverpool’s display fell apart as the coach introduced multiple attacking substitutions when pursuing the game. “It was the identical away at Forest the previous campaign,” he remarked. “I substituted Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] out and brought on [Diogo] Jota and he found the net straight away to make it 1-1. Then it was brave, now it’s likely unwise.”

Liverpool previously were defeated in back-to-back home Premier League games by Nottingham Forest in the sixties. The most recent occasion they suffered back-to-back top-flight matches by a 3-0 margin was in 1965.

Slot said: “It was extremely poor. Playing at home, losing 3-0 no matter which team you encounter is a terrible outcome. Unexpected if you consider the opening 30 minutes of the game. I haven’t seen us producing so many chances in the opening half-hour perhaps the entire season, and the first time they arrived in our penalty area they found the back of the net.

“It did not happen against Manchester City, but in all other game we have been the controlling team and were capable to generate chances. Recently it is almost consistently that we miss our chances and the ones we allow find the net.”