“You’re fired in the morning! You’re fired in the morning!” This is a common taunt aimed at Arne Slott by rival fans, and has been heard more frequently in recent weeks. But it would have been especially painful to hear such chants just 48 minutes into the game at Anfield, after Nottingham Forest had doubled their lead.
The East Midlands side remain one of only two teams without a win in the Premier League since the Dutch manager took charge of Liverpool last summer. Last September’s 1-0 win over the Reds was a rare home defeat in a title-winning season, but with a defense already conceding goals, losses like this no longer come as a surprise.
On a recent visit to Merseyside, Forest supporters repeatedly told Slott: “We’re in your head” throughout the 90-minute match. But they further mocked the Liverpool manager about job security when Morgan Gibbs-White scored a late 3-0 win.
But the worst was yet to come. In the 86th minute, they actually stuck a knife into Liverpool’s wound and shouted “We want four!”
The defeat is already Liverpool’s highest at Anfield in the Premier League era and highlights just how far they have fallen during this horrific stretch.
They currently sit 11th in the table, and if the Gunners win Sunday’s North London derby, they could widen the gap to 11 points over leaders Arsenal. However, any hopes of catching Arsenal were long gone.
The Reds have lost six of their last seven Premier League games and eight of their last 11 in all competitions. It was the club’s most disastrous performance to date, and it happened right in front of club president Tom Werner, who was watching the first game of the season.
Werner last visited Anfield in May when Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy. After witnessing a £450m makeover in the slot in the summer, he must be wondering where he went wrong.
There is still some goodwill left in Slott, who led the club to the title, and there are extenuating circumstances in their current predicament.
Just this week, Andy Robertson’s heartfelt interview after Scotland qualified for their first World Cup since 1998 served as a poignant reminder that the entire squad is grappling with the deep grief following the tragic loss of Diogo Jota in the summer. This cannot and should not be ignored.
But like it or not, football remains a results-oriented business, and continued poor performance is slowly eroding slots’ position.
This was a new low for the head coach. It was eloquent that unlike in previous games, Reds supporters did not shout his name.
Liverpool lost control.
After 55 minutes, with the team trailing 2-0, the Liverpool players all turned to Slott on the sideline for instructions, and he made the first substitution of the game.
Nicola Savona’s goal doubled the visitors’ lead just a minute into the second half, forcing the home manager to make attacking changes.
Hugo Ekitike’s arrival was expected, but despite his overwhelming performance, Ibrahima Konate’s departure raised eyebrows.
Liverpool had already been forced to play Dominik Szoboszlai out of his right-back position due to Conor Bradley’s recent injury.
Konate’s sending off forced Ryan Gravenbirch into defense, adding to the despair of Liverpool’s formation as they struggled to get back into the game.
Despite spending heavily in the summer, the reigning Premier League champions often chase games or finish games with disjointed line-ups and players out of position. These changes have yielded little results in the past two months.
This was not the plan after the most expensive transfer window in the club’s history.
Last season saw Liverpool en route to the title and Slott’s clear direction and game management was regularly praised.
But that control appears to have evaporated as the tumultuous season continues, with the same players searching for solutions in the wake of yet another disappointing loss.
Alison could not answer her prayers.
Alisson Becker’s return from a hamstring injury was a welcome development for Liverpool, but it has done little to halt their recent slump.
The 33-year-old goalkeeper has missed the Reds’ last eight games, during which they lost five, conceded 14 goals and kept just two clean sheets. But while Alisson was still scoring against Crystal Palace in September, their downward spiral had already begun.
His absence was felt, but his return did not provide the expected immediate fix.
Alisson was powerless to prevent Forest’s first two goals, but he may have felt disappointed for forcing Omari Hutchinson’s shot straight into the path of Gibbs-White, who made it 3-0 late in the Kop end.
The Brazilian’s unlikely mistake could probably be attributed to his two-month layoff, but by then the damage had already been done.
If Liverpool hadn’t suffered such a crushing defeat, they might have felt badly wronged in the way Forest’s opening goal did. Murillo took the shot well, but it was clear that Dan Ndoye was standing in front of Alisson when he took the shot.
Despite being checked by VAR, the Premier League strangely ruled that Ndoye did not obstruct the goalkeeper’s view, suggesting he was offside.
Virgil van Dijk’s canceled goal at Manchester City is still fresh in many people’s minds, but the inconsistency of officials remains a problem.
However, this is the second game in a row in which Liverpool have suffered a deservedly important defeat due to their inability to score, making any remaining excuses sound pretty weak.
In the recent defeat, despite Alisson’s return in goal, the Reds were given a harsh reminder that while some aspects may change, much remains the same.
