Arne Slot brands Liverpool’s slump “ridiculous” as champions sink into bottom half

Arne Slot brands Liverpool’s slump “ridiculous” as champions sink into bottom half

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has labelled his side’s alarming downturn in form “ridiculous” and “unbelievable”, admitting he feels personally responsible for a collapse that has left the reigning Premier League champions drifting in the bottom half of the table for the first time in more than a decade.

Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest, Liverpool’s sixth loss in seven league matches, was greeted with shock at Anfield and dropped the Reds to 12th following Everton’s victory over Manchester United. Speaking to the media ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with PSV Eindhoven, Slot cut a reflective and chastened figure.

“I did not expect to be in this position at any club I worked at, let alone Liverpool,” the Dutchman said. “You can look for excuses, but none justify performing like this. I take responsibility and feel guilty for it.”

Liverpool’s defensive decline has been stark. Having conceded 41 goals on their title-winning march last season, they have already shipped 20 in their opening 12 league matches, with set-pieces proving particularly costly. “The amount of goals we concede is close to ridiculous,” Slot admitted. “Simple things must be done better.”

The run of eight defeats in 11 matches across all competitions has prompted questions over the squad’s resolve, with captain Virgil van Dijk urging greater individual responsibility. Slot, however, insisted the fight remains intact, arguing that tactical patterns, and Liverpool’s dominance of possession, have left his players vulnerable in decisive defensive moments.

Despite domestic turbulence, Liverpool remain eighth in the Champions League standings, three points off top spot. Playmaker Florian Wirtz will miss the PSV clash with a muscle injury, but Slot stressed unity is crucial: “The harder it gets, the more we must come together to achieve what Liverpool usually achieve.”

GFN | Finn Entwistle

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