Arne Slot hasn’t held back with his criticism of Liverpool’s players following their shock 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Callum Hudson-Odoi pounced in the 72nd minute to become the first player to score against Slot’s Liverpool, while Forest are the first team to take any points off them this season.
The defeat came despite the Reds dominating the game with 70% possession and 14 shots attempted, compared to just five shots from Forest.
BBC pundit Chris Sutton described the defeat as the end of the ‘honeymoon period’ for Slot at Anfield, with the Dutchman now well aware of what’s required to get Liverpool back on track as title challengers.
Arne Slot reacts to shock Liverpool defeat
Liverpool’s Dutch manager Arne Slot reacts during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on September 14, 2024.
Slot himself has given a very honest assessment of his players’ misgivings on Saturday.
The former Feyenoord boss has bemoaned a lack of quality chance creation despite Liverpool’s dominance, while he was also unhappy with how his side played in possession of the ball.
“The result frustrates the most and we cannot be happy about how the game went. It was a stop-start game and we hardly created any chances,” Slot said (via BBC Sport).
“We only have to look at ourselves, we have to be better. Far too many times we lost the ball around the area, it was not good enough. We have to be better with the ball.
“Our decisions and execution wasn’t good enough. In general, we defended quite well but the two fast players came on and made it difficult. We took a lot of risk and in the end, it was a very good goal.”
Up next for Liverpool is a trip to Italian giants AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday.
