Liverpool's Manager Offers Zero Justifications and Pledges to Find Route Out of Malaise
Liverpool's head coach declared he needed to “examine my own performance” after Liverpool endured a sixth loss in seven English top-flight games on their own turf to Nottingham Forest and insisted he would find a way from the champions’ slump.
Nottingham Forest, fighting against the drop before kick off, delivered the biggest victory at Liverpool's stadium in their history as Liverpool fell to an 8th loss in eleven fixtures in all competitions. The British record signing, the Swedish striker, was again anonymous and Liverpool contended Murillo’s first goal should have been disallowed for similar reasons to the captain's chalked-off goal against Manchester City prior to the international break. But the manager conceded the responsibility stopped with him and offered no alibis.
“No one wants to listen to me now speaking about refereeing decisions if you are defeated 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest,” said the Reds' boss. “I ought to examine 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 net a strike. Later we hardly created anything.
“Naturally there is a way out, particularly with the quality players we have. No matter if you win or are beaten when you look back you are always thinking: ‘In which areas can we do better, where can we adjust?’ but that is different from doubting your abilities.
“I want to stress I am accountable for the current losses. You are responsible when you are winning but also responsible when you are defeated. I can never provide enough excuses for us to have the outcomes we have. That is not acceptable and I am responsible for that.”
Liverpool’s performance fell apart as Slot introduced several attacking changes when pursuing the game. “It was the identical away at Nottingham Forest last season,” he said. “I substituted the French defender off and brought on [Diogo] Jota and he scored straight away to equalize at 1-1. At that time it was courageous, now it’s probably stupid.”
The Anfield side last lost two successive at Anfield league fixtures against Nottingham Forest in the sixties. The last time they lost consecutive top-flight games by a 3-0 scoreline was in 1965.
Slot said: “It was extremely poor. Competing on home soil, conceding 3-0 no matter which team you encounter is a very, very bad outcome. Unexpected if you consider the opening 30 minutes of the match. I haven’t seen us producing so much in the initial 30 minutes perhaps the whole campaign, and the initial occasion they entered in our box they scored.
“It did not happen at City, but in all other fixture we have been the dominant side and were able to create chances. Lately it is nearly constantly that we fail to convert our chances and the ones we concede go in.”