Slot Offers Zero Justifications and Vows to Plot Way From Malaise

Liverpool's head coach stated he had to “examine my own performance” following the Reds suffered a sixth defeat in seven Premier League matches at home to Nottingham Forest and affirmed he would find a solution from the champions’ slump.

Nottingham Forest, in the relegation zone prior to the match, delivered the biggest victory at Anfield in their club records as Liverpool fell to an eighth defeat in 11 fixtures in all competitions. The British record signing, Alexander Isak, was once more anonymous and Liverpool contended Murillo’s first goal ought to have been ruled out for similar reasons to the captain's chalked-off goal against Manchester City prior to the international break. But Slot admitted the buck rested with him and made no excuses.

“Nobody wants to hear me now speaking about refereeing decisions if you are defeated 3-0 in your own stadium to Forest,” stated the Liverpool head coach. “I should look at myself first and my squad, but it does show you how a score can change the momentum of a match. Earlier I was just hoping for us to score a goal. Afterwards we hardly created anything.

“Of course there is a way out, especially with the quality players we have. Regardless if you win or are beaten when you look back you are always considering: ‘Where can we do better, where can we make changes?’ but that is different from questioning yourself.

“I want to emphasise I am accountable for the present losses. You are responsible when you are victorious but also responsible when you are losing. I can never come up with sufficient excuses for us to have the results we have. That is far from good enough and I am responsible for that.”

The team's display fell apart as Slot made several attacking changes when chasing the game. “It was the identical on the road at Forest the previous campaign,” he said. “I substituted the French defender out and brought on the Portuguese forward and he found the net immediately to equalize at 1-1. Then it was courageous, currently it’s probably unwise.”

Liverpool previously were defeated in back-to-back at Anfield Premier League games against Forest in the sixties. The most recent occasion they suffered back-to-back top-flight matches by a 3-0 scoreline was in 1965.

Slot commented: “It was extremely poor. Competing at home, losing 3-0 regardless of which opponent you face is a very, very bad result. Unexpected if you consider the opening 30 minutes of the match. I haven’t seen us creating so much in the opening half-hour perhaps the entire 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 fixture we have been the controlling side and were capable to create chances. Lately it is almost consistently that we miss our chances and the ones we allow find the net.”