Slot Offers Zero Justifications and Pledges to Plot Route From Slump

Liverpool's head coach declared he needed to “examine my own performance” following the Reds endured a sixth loss in 7 Premier League games on their own turf to Nottingham Forest and insisted he would discover a way from the title holders' poor run.

Forest, in the relegation zone prior to the match, delivered the biggest victory at Liverpool's stadium in their club records as Liverpool fell to an eighth defeat in eleven matches in all competitions. The most expensive domestic acquisition, Alexander Isak, was once more unnoticeable and Liverpool argued Murillo’s first goal ought to have been ruled out for similar reasons to the captain's chalked-off goal versus City prior to the international break. But the manager admitted the buck rested with him and offered no alibis.

“No one wants to listen to me now talking about refereeing decisions if you lose 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I should examine my own role initially and my team, but it does show you how a goal can alter the flow of a match. Earlier I was just waiting for us to score a goal. Later we barely generated anything.

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

“I want to emphasise I am responsible for the present defeats. You are responsible when you are victorious but also responsible when you are losing. I can never provide sufficient excuses for us to have the outcomes we have. That is not acceptable and I am to blame for that.”

Liverpool’s performance fell apart as the coach made several offensive changes 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 immediately to make it 1-1. Then it was brave, currently it’s probably stupid.”

The Anfield side previously were defeated in two successive home league games by Nottingham Forest in 1963. 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 at home, conceding 3-0 regardless of which team you encounter is a very, very bad outcome. Unexpected if you consider the first half-hour of the game. I did not witness us creating so much in the initial half-hour maybe the entire campaign, and the first time they arrived in our box they scored.

“It did not happen against Manchester City, but in all other game we have been the controlling side and were able to generate opportunities. Recently it is almost consistently that we miss our chances and the attempts we allow go in.”

Vickie Lawrence
Vickie Lawrence

AI researcher and software engineer with a passion for demystifying complex technologies through accessible writing.