Liverpool's Manager Offers Zero Justifications and Vows to Plot Way Out of Malaise

Arne Slot stated he needed to “look at myself” after Liverpool endured a 6th loss in seven English top-flight matches on their own turf to Forest and affirmed he would find a solution from the title holders' slump.

Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone prior to the match, produced the largest win at Liverpool's stadium in their club records as Liverpool fell to an 8th loss in 11 matches in every tournament. The most expensive domestic acquisition, Alexander Isak, was again anonymous and the home side argued Murillo’s first goal should have been disallowed for comparable grounds to the captain's disallowed effort against Manchester City prior to the international break. But Slot conceded the buck stopped with him and made no excuses.

“No one wishes to hear me now speaking about refereeing decisions if you are defeated 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I ought to examine myself first and my squad, but it does show you how a score can change the flow of a match. Earlier I was just waiting for us to score a strike. Afterwards we hardly generated any chances.

“Of course 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 different from questioning your abilities.

“I wish to emphasise I am responsible for the present losses. You are responsible when you are victorious but also responsible when you are losing. I can never come up with enough reasons for us to have the outcomes we have. That is not good enough and I am responsible for that.”

Liverpool’s display unravelled as Slot made several offensive substitutions when pursuing the game. “It was the identical on the road at Forest the previous campaign,” he said. “I took Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] out and put on [Diogo] Jota and he scored immediately to make it 1-1. Then it was courageous, now it’s likely unwise.”

Liverpool last lost back-to-back home league games by Nottingham Forest in 1963. The last time they suffered consecutive top-flight games by a three-goal margin was in 1965.

Slot said: “It was extremely poor. Competing at home, conceding 3-0 regardless of which team you face is a terrible outcome. Surprising if you consider the first half-hour of the match. I did not witness us producing so much in the initial half-hour maybe the whole campaign, and the initial occasion they entered in our penalty area they scored.

“It wasn’t against Manchester City, but in every other game we have been the controlling team and were able to generate chances. Recently it is nearly constantly that we miss our chances and the ones we allow find the net.”