Liverpool's Manager Offers No Excuses and Vows to Find Route From Slump
Liverpool's head coach stated he needed to “examine my own performance” following the Reds endured a sixth loss in 7 English top-flight games at home against Nottingham Forest and affirmed he would find a way from the title holders' slump.
Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone before kick off, delivered the biggest victory at Liverpool's stadium in their club records as the Merseyside club slipped to an 8th loss in 11 fixtures in all competitions. The British record signing, the Swedish striker, was once more unnoticeable and the home side argued the defender's first goal ought to have been ruled out for comparable grounds to the captain's disallowed effort against City prior to the international break. But the manager admitted the responsibility rested with him and made no excuses.
“Nobody wants to listen to me now talking about officiating calls if you are defeated 3-0 in your own stadium to Nottingham Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I should examine myself first and my team, but it does show you how a score can alter the momentum of a match. Earlier I was just waiting for us to net a strike. Afterwards we hardly generated any chances.
“Naturally there is a way out, especially with the talented footballers we have. Regardless if you triumph or are beaten when you reflect you are always thinking: ‘Where can we improve, in what aspects can we adjust?’ but that is something else from questioning 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 losing. I can not provide sufficient excuses for us to have the results we have. That is far from good enough and I am to blame for that.”
Liverpool’s display fell apart as Slot made multiple attacking substitutions when pursuing the match. “It was the same away at Nottingham Forest last season,” he remarked. “I took the French defender off and brought on [Diogo] Jota and he found the net straight away to make it 1-1. Then it was brave, now it’s probably unwise.”
The Anfield side last lost two successive at Anfield league games by Forest in the sixties. The last time they lost consecutive league matches by a three-goal margin was in the mid-60s.
The manager said: “It was extremely poor. Competing on home soil, conceding 3-0 regardless of which team you face is a terrible outcome. Unexpected if you look at the first half-hour of the game. I haven’t seen us creating so much in the opening 30 minutes perhaps the entire season, and the first time they arrived in our box they found the back of the net.
“It did not happen against Manchester City, but in all other game we have been the dominant team and were able to generate opportunities. Lately it is almost consistently that we miss our opportunities and the ones we allow go in.”