Liverpool's Manager Provides Zero Justifications and Vows to Find Route From Malaise
Liverpool's head coach declared he needed to “examine my own performance” after the Reds endured a 6th loss in 7 Premier League games on their own turf to Nottingham Forest and insisted he would find a way from the champions’ poor run.
Nottingham Forest, fighting against the drop prior to the match, delivered the biggest win at Anfield in their club records as Liverpool fell to an eighth defeat in eleven matches in all competitions. The most expensive domestic acquisition, the Swedish striker, was again unnoticeable and the home side contended the defender's first goal ought to have been ruled out for comparable grounds to the captain's chalked-off goal versus Manchester City before the international break. But the manager conceded the buck rested with him and offered no alibis.
“Nobody wants to listen to me now speaking about refereeing decisions if you lose 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest,” said the Liverpool head coach. “I ought to examine myself initially and my squad, but it demonstrates you how a goal can change the flow of a match. Before I was just waiting for us to score a strike. Later we barely generated any chances.
“Naturally there is a path forward, especially with the quality footballers we have. Regardless if you win or lose when you look back you are always thinking: ‘In which areas can we improve, where can we adjust?’ but that is something else from doubting your abilities.
“I wish to emphasise I am accountable for the present losses. You are answerable when you are victorious but also responsible when you are losing. I can not provide enough reasons for us to have the results we have. That is far from good enough and I am to blame for that.”
Liverpool’s performance unravelled as the coach introduced multiple offensive substitutions when chasing the match. “It was the identical away at Nottingham Forest last season,” he remarked. “I substituted Ibou [Ibrahima Konaté] off and brought on the Portuguese forward and he found the net immediately to equalize at 1-1. Then it was brave, now it’s probably unwise.”
Liverpool last lost back-to-back at Anfield league fixtures against Forest in the sixties. The last time they lost consecutive league matches by a 3-0 margin was in the mid-60s.
The manager commented: “It was extremely poor. Competing at home, conceding 3-0 regardless of which opponent you encounter is a very, very bad result. Unexpected if you look at the opening 30 minutes of the match. I did not witness us creating so many chances in the initial half-hour perhaps the entire season, and the first time they arrived in our box they found the back of the net.
“It wasn’t at City, but in every other game we have been the dominant team and were capable to generate chances. Lately it is almost constantly that we miss our opportunities and the ones we allow go in.”