Liverpool's Manager Offers Zero Justifications and Pledges to Plot Way From Malaise
Liverpool's head coach declared he needed to “examine my own performance” after Liverpool suffered a sixth loss in 7 English top-flight games at home to Forest and affirmed he would find a solution out of the title holders' slump.
Nottingham Forest, fighting against the drop before kick off, produced the biggest victory at Anfield in their history as Liverpool slipped to an eighth defeat in 11 matches in all competitions. The British record signing, the Swedish striker, was once more anonymous and Liverpool contended Murillo’s opener should have been ruled out for similar reasons to the captain's disallowed effort versus City before the national team pause. But Slot admitted the buck rested with him and offered no alibis.
“No one wants to listen to me now speaking about officiating calls if you lose 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I ought to look at myself first and my team, but it demonstrates you how a score can alter the flow of a match. Earlier I was just waiting for us to net a goal. Later we hardly created any chances.
“Of course there is a path forward, particularly with the talented footballers 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 yourself.
“I wish to stress I am responsible for the present defeats. You are answerable when you are victorious but also responsible when you are defeated. I can never come up with sufficient excuses for us to have the results we have. That is far from acceptable and I am to blame for that.”
Liverpool’s display unravelled as the coach made several attacking changes when pursuing the game. “It was the identical away at Nottingham Forest last season,” he remarked. “I took the French defender off and brought on [Diogo] Jota and he found the net immediately to make it 1-1. Then it was courageous, currently it’s probably unwise.”
The Anfield side last lost back-to-back home league fixtures by Nottingham Forest in the sixties. The last time they lost back-to-back top-flight games by a three-goal scoreline was in the mid-60s.
Slot commented: “It was extremely poor. Competing at home, conceding 3-0 no matter which team you encounter is a very, very bad outcome. Unexpected if you consider the first half-hour of the match. I did not witness us producing so many chances in the opening half-hour maybe the whole campaign, and the initial occasion they arrived in our box they scored.
“It wasn’t against Manchester City, but in every other fixture we have been the controlling team and were able to generate opportunities. Lately it is almost consistently that we miss our opportunities and the attempts we concede go in.”