Arne Slot said Liverpool’s continued downturn is “my responsibility” and that everything is being done to turn results around—but Virgil van Dijk was keen to stress it’s not all on the manager.
There was hope that the Premier League champions would have regrouped after their comprehensive 3–0 defeat to Manchester City prior to the international break, but they were completely out of sorts once more as Nottingham Forest won at Anfield for the second straight season.
Liverpool didn’t just lose to Forest, they were trounced 3–0 again in front of a stunned Anfield—Murillo, Nicolò Savona and Morgan Gibbs-White the goalscorers on a day where £125 million British record signing Alexander Isak touched the ball just 14 times and comfortably rated as the Reds’ worst player.
The reverse means it’s now eight defeats for Liverpool in their last 11 games across all competitions, and Slot admitted the buck stops with him when determining who is at fault.
"If things go well or things go bad, it's my responsibility,” the Dutchman told BBC’s Match of the Day. “We weren't able to create enough. I tried to adjust a few things, but it didn't work out. We were unable to score a goal. You never know in this stadium, if you score a goal, then things can work out.
Slot: Players Must Keep Their Heads Up
There was controversy surrounding Murillo’s opening goal for Forest, with Dan Ndoye in an offside position very close to Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, but VAR determined he was not interfering with play because he was not obscuring the Brazilian’s line of sight and did not make an impactful move towards the ball—a decision that was the complete opposite of the one made two weeks when prior when Van Dijk thought he’d scored against City.
“I don't know. I heard it wasn't offside, so if it's not offside, there's nothing to debate,” Slot said. “We created and were waiting for us to score a goal. The set piece changed everything, and they scored two.
He continued when asked about conceding early in the second half: “Of course, it was damaging. It was already hard to be 1-0 against a team blocking everything. It's that simple. In a few days, we have to play in the Champions League again and then play three Premier League games in a short space. Keep your head up and work incredibly hard. We are trying every single day.
"It's always helpful to have experienced and quality players. It's not working out at this moment."
Van Dijk: Liverpool’s Problem Is the Responsibility of Everyone
Liverpool captain Van Dijk also fronted up to the cameras post-match, clearly pained by the performance his side had put in. But he was clear with his messaging—goals are being conceded far too easily and it’s not only Slot who should take responsibility for what’s happening, it’s all of the players.
“We concede too many easy goals. They scored obviously from a set piece again,” he said. “You can ask if he was in front of Alisson, but it counted, so we're 1-0 down. We were not good in terms of battles, challenges, the fight, too rushed. It's a very difficult situation at the moment.
“There was nervousness after we conceded, but not before. We tried to rush things and that's human when you're in a difficult moment. We cleared the ones before and in the end, we're in a very difficult moment. We don't get out of it by just speaking about it. It will take a lot of hard work.
“It's a problem. Everyone in the team has to take responsibility as well. Football is a team and everyone has to take responsibility. We have to digest this and take it on the chin. We need to work harder. We have to keep going.
“Everyone is disappointed, like they should be, because losing at home to Nottingham Forest is, in my eyes, very bad. That's the least I can say about it. Those goals we conceded are far too easy and we all have to look in the mirror. I've been at this club so long now and we've been through adversity. We will bounce back but it doesn't happen overnight. I'm not a quitter and we will keep going.
“I can't decide what the supporters are doing if they leave early. I know the fans have been through thick and thin with us. They will be there with us when we come out of this because we will come out of this."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arne Slot, Virgil van Dijk Disagree Over Who’s to Blame for Liverpool Horror Show.
