Liverpool's Manager Offers No Excuses and Vows to Find Way Out of Malaise
Liverpool's head coach declared he needed to “look at myself” after Liverpool endured a 6th loss in 7 English top-flight games at home against Forest and insisted he would find a solution from the champions’ slump.
Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone prior to the match, produced the biggest win at Liverpool's stadium in their club records as Liverpool fell to an eighth defeat in eleven fixtures in every tournament. The most expensive domestic acquisition, the Swedish striker, was once more anonymous and Liverpool contended the defender's first goal ought to have been disallowed for similar reasons to Virgil van Dijk’s disallowed effort versus City prior to the international break. But Slot conceded the responsibility rested with him and offered no alibis.
“Nobody wishes to listen to me now speaking about officiating calls if you lose 3-0 in your own stadium to Nottingham Forest,” said the Reds' boss. “I should examine myself first and my squad, but it does show you how a score can alter the flow of a match. Earlier I was just waiting for us to net a goal. Later we barely created any chances.
“Of course there is a way out, especially with the quality players we have. Regardless if you triumph or are beaten when you look back you are always considering: ‘Where can we improve, in what aspects can we make changes?’ but that is something else from doubting your abilities.
“I want to stress I am accountable for the present losses. You are answerable when you are victorious but also liable when you are defeated. I can not provide sufficient reasons for us to have the outcomes we have. That is not acceptable and I am to blame for that.”
Liverpool’s display fell apart as Slot made multiple attacking changes when pursuing the match. “It was the same away at Nottingham Forest the previous campaign,” he said. “I substituted the French defender out and put on the Portuguese forward and he scored immediately to equalize at 1-1. Then it was courageous, currently it’s probably stupid.”
Liverpool previously were defeated in two successive home league fixtures against Nottingham Forest in 1963. The last time they suffered back-to-back league matches by a three-goal margin was in 1965.
Slot commented: “It was extremely poor. Competing on home soil, conceding 3-0 regardless of which opponent you encounter is a very, very bad result. Unexpected if you look at the opening 30 minutes of the game. I did not witness us producing so much in the opening 30 minutes maybe the whole season, and the initial occasion they entered in our penalty area they found the back of the net.
“It wasn’t at City, but in every other game we have been the controlling side and were capable to create opportunities. Lately it is nearly constantly that we miss our opportunities and the ones we allow go in.”