Liverpool's Manager Provides No Excuses and Vows to Find Way Out of Malaise
Liverpool's head coach stated he needed to “examine my own performance” following the Reds suffered a 6th loss in 7 English top-flight games on their own turf to Forest and affirmed he would find a way from the title holders' slump.
Forest, in the relegation zone prior to the match, delivered the biggest win at Anfield in their club records as Liverpool slipped to an eighth defeat in eleven matches in every tournament. The British record signing, the Swedish striker, was once more anonymous and the home side contended the defender's first goal ought to have been disallowed for similar reasons to the captain's disallowed effort against Manchester City before the national team pause. But Slot admitted the buck stopped with him and offered no alibis.
“No one wants to listen to me now talking about refereeing decisions if you are defeated 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I ought to examine myself first and my team, but it demonstrates you how a goal can alter the momentum of a game. Earlier I was just hoping for us to net a goal. Afterwards we hardly created any chances.
“Naturally there is a path forward, especially with the quality players we have. Regardless if you triumph or are beaten when you look back you are always thinking: ‘In which areas can we do better, where can we make changes?’ but that is different from doubting your abilities.
“I want to stress I am responsible for the current losses. You are responsible when you are victorious but also liable when you are losing. I can never provide sufficient reasons for us to have the outcomes we have. That is far from acceptable and I am to blame for that.”
The team's display unravelled as the coach made multiple attacking changes when pursuing the match. “It was the same on the road at Nottingham Forest the previous campaign,” he remarked. “I substituted the French defender out and put on [Diogo] Jota and he scored immediately to equalize at 1-1. At that time it was brave, now it’s likely stupid.”
Liverpool previously were defeated in back-to-back at Anfield Premier League games by Nottingham Forest in the sixties. The last time they suffered back-to-back league matches by a 3-0 margin was in 1965.
The manager said: “It was very bad. Competing on home soil, conceding 3-0 regardless of which team you face is a terrible outcome. Surprising if you look at the first half-hour of the match. I haven’t seen us creating so much in the initial half-hour perhaps the whole campaign, and the initial occasion they arrived in our penalty area they found the back of the net.
“It did not happen against Manchester City, but in every other game we have been the dominant team and were capable to generate opportunities. Recently it is nearly constantly that we miss our chances and the ones we concede find the net.”