Liverpool's Manager Offers Zero Justifications and Pledges to Plot Route Out of Malaise

Arne Slot stated he needed to “examine my own performance” after the Reds endured a 6th loss in seven English top-flight matches at home to Nottingham Forest and insisted he would find a way out of the title holders' poor run.

Nottingham Forest, fighting against the drop prior to the match, produced the largest victory at Liverpool's stadium in their history as the Merseyside club fell to an 8th defeat in eleven matches in all competitions. The British record signing, Alexander Isak, was again unnoticeable and the home side contended Murillo’s opener should have been disallowed for similar reasons to Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed effort versus City prior to the international break. But the manager conceded the responsibility stopped with him and made no excuses.

“Nobody wishes to listen to me now talking about refereeing decisions if you lose 3-0 in your own stadium to Forest,” stated the Reds' boss. “I ought to look at my own role initially and my team, but it demonstrates you how a score can alter the momentum of a game. Before I was just waiting for us to score a goal. Afterwards we hardly generated anything.

“Of course there is a way out, especially with the talented players we have. No matter if you win or lose when you reflect you are always thinking: ‘In which areas can we improve, where can we adjust?’ but that is different from doubting yourself.

“I want to emphasise I am responsible for the current defeats. You are responsible when you are victorious but also responsible when you are defeated. I can never provide enough excuses for us to have the outcomes we have. That is far from acceptable and I am to blame for that.”

The team's performance fell apart as the coach introduced several offensive changes when pursuing the game. “It was the same on the road at Nottingham Forest the previous campaign,” he remarked. “I substituted the French defender out and put on the Portuguese forward and he found the net immediately to equalize at 1-1. Then it was courageous, currently it’s probably unwise.”

Liverpool previously were defeated in two successive home league fixtures by Forest in 1963. The most recent occasion they lost consecutive top-flight games by a 3-0 margin was in the mid-60s.

Slot commented: “It was extremely poor. Playing at home, conceding 3-0 regardless of which opponent you encounter is a very, very bad result. Surprising if you consider the first half-hour of the match. I did not witness us creating so many chances in the opening 30 minutes perhaps the whole season, and the first time they entered in our box they scored.

“It wasn’t against Manchester City, but in every other fixture we have been the controlling team and were capable to create opportunities. Lately it is nearly constantly that we miss our opportunities and the ones we allow go in.”