🔗 Share this article

Liverpool's head coach stated he had to “look at myself” following the Reds endured a sixth defeat in seven Premier League matches at home to Forest and insisted he would find a way from the champions’ slump.

Forest, fighting against the drop prior to the match, delivered the biggest win at Liverpool's stadium in their club records as Liverpool fell to an eighth loss in 11 matches in every tournament. The British record signing, Alexander Isak, was again anonymous and Liverpool argued the defender's opener should have been ruled out for comparable grounds to Virgil van Dijk’s chalked-off goal against Manchester City before the international break. But the manager admitted the buck rested with him and offered no alibis.

“Nobody wishes to listen to me now talking about refereeing decisions if you lose 3-0 at home to Forest,” said the Reds' boss. “I ought to look at my own role initially and my squad, but it demonstrates you how a goal can alter the momentum of a match. Before I was just hoping for us to net a goal. Later we barely created any chances.

“Naturally there is a way out, especially with the talented players we have. No matter if you win or are beaten when you reflect you are always thinking: ‘Where can we improve, where can we adjust?’ but that is something else from questioning yourself.

“I want to stress I am accountable for the current losses. You are responsible when you are winning but also liable when you are defeated. I can never provide enough excuses for us to have the results we have. That is not acceptable and I am to blame for that.”

Liverpool’s performance fell apart as Slot introduced multiple attacking changes when pursuing the game. “It was the same away at Forest last season,” he said. “I took Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] off and put on the Portuguese forward and he scored straight away to equalize at 1-1. At that time it was courageous, currently it’s probably unwise.”

Liverpool previously were defeated in two successive at Anfield Premier League games by Forest in the sixties. The most recent occasion they suffered back-to-back top-flight games by a three-goal scoreline was in the mid-60s.

The manager said: “It was extremely poor. Playing at home, conceding 3-0 no matter which opponent you encounter is a very, very bad outcome. Surprising if you look at the first half-hour of the match. I did not witness us producing so many chances in the initial half-hour perhaps the entire season, and the first time they arrived in our penalty area they scored.

“It wasn’t at City, but in every other game we have been the controlling side and were able to create opportunities. Lately it is almost constantly that we miss our chances and the ones we allow find the net.”