Liverpool’s Struggles: A Call for Accountability and Change

omidbasir- Liverpool’s heavy defeat against Nottingham Forest on Saturday has seen the club drop to 11th place in the Premier League, effectively extinguishing their hopes of retaining the title. Despite this setback, former Feyenoord manager Slot maintained a defiant outlook, asserting that his team will work to turn their fortunes around.

When questioned about his players’ confidence levels, Slot responded, “I do not sense a lack of confidence, nor do I observe it. After we fell behind 1-0, we encountered difficulties. I endeavored to motivate them and provide the necessary information for a strong start to the second half, but they immediately conceded a second goal. The players continued to strive; I cannot fault their efforts. They blocked every shot we attempted. The solution is not far off. We generated chances consistently, and it is not as though we conceded numerous opportunities. This trend will not persist indefinitely, but we must examine ourselves and identify how we can improve defensively after conceding. We have not scored in our last two matches.”

However, he acknowledged that his players were feeling disheartened following another defeat.

According to The Athletic, Slot was scheduled to receive an award in person but withdrew on the day of the ceremony. Instead, Liverpool dispatched club ambassador and former player Gary McAllister to accept the accolade on Slot’s behalf. McAllister expressed apologies for Slot’s absence, noting that the Dutchman was “extremely proud” to receive the award.

Interestingly, Slot seems to be accepting responsibility for Liverpool’s disappointing run of results. He told reporters, “It is my responsibility, whether we win or lose. However, I also see a team that continues to fight until the end, and the fans, who remained to support the players. Recently, we have consistently missed our chances, while the few we concede find the back of the net. This cannot continue throughout the season. We need the momentum that comes from scoring when we are performing well and taking the lead. Unfortunately, we provided Forest with a significant boost by conceding. I can identify numerous instances where, under normal circumstances, the outcome would have been different, but we find ourselves in a challenging situation.”

While a growing number of Liverpool fans are pointing fingers at Slot—especially following a summer transfer expenditure exceeding £400 million—captain Virgil van Dijk has stated that his teammates are “letting the manager and ourselves down.” The visibly upset centre-back has called for his side to rectify this “mess.”

“Feelings of anger are justified, and it is crucial for everyone to accept responsibility,” he emphasized. “Navigating through difficult times is challenging, but we must do so if we wish to improve. We are certainly letting the manager down, but we are also failing ourselves. This is a mess, and that is simply a fact. As the defending champions, we cannot find ourselves in this situation. What steps will we take? We will strive to turn our situation around, and that should be the mentality of everyone involved.”

Liverpool now has an opportunity to recover from this disappointing loss when they face PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday. Following that, they will host struggling West Ham on Sunday in the Premier League, before confronting promoted teams Sunderland and Leeds United in early December.