'liverpool In Full-blown Crisis And Slot Under Severe Pressure'

Arne Slot is nary longer trying to prevention Premier League champions Liverpool from a stumble.

Saturday's Anfield scary show astatine nan hands of Nottingham Forest was a headlong autumn into nan abyss.

What astir generously believed was a blip, based connected nan compelling grounds of Slot's first title-winning run past season, is now a full-blown situation for Liverpool and their beleaguered caput coach.

Chairman Tom Werner was astatine Anfield to witnesser a 3-0 nonaccomplishment to awesome Forest acknowledgment to a capacity arsenic mediocre arsenic thing seen astatine location successful caller years.

"How bad that is difficult to measurement but it was very bad," said Slot. "Playing astatine home, losing 3-0 nary matter which squad you look is simply a very, very bad result,"

No-one tin propose Slot's occupation is successful contiguous threat aft his deeds pursuing his succession to Jurgen Klopp, but specified is this game's brutality that he is now nether superior unit to move nan tide that threatens to engulf Anfield.

Liverpool's manager, whoever it is, is ever nether unit to triumph games. He is nether moreover greater unit and scrutiny erstwhile he loses six Premier League games retired of seven. This is arsenic galore arsenic successful their erstwhile 58.

They person mislaid 2 of their past 3 convention games astatine Anfield, arsenic galore arsenic successful nan erstwhile 53.

The cloak of invincibility that Liverpool carried past play has been replaced by a soft - very soft - underbelly. And it has been location since nan commencement of nan season.

It takes immoderate doing to walk £450m to make a Liverpool broadside that strolled to nan title past play worse but, based connected what has been produced truthful far, Slot and nan club's recruitment squad person achieved that feat.

Former Arsenal and England defender Martin Keown told BBC Sport: "Whether it's a crisis, I don't know.

"It's surely a awesome problem for nan head to spell six defeats from seven. Unthinkable.

"The wheels are coming disconnected now for Arne Slot.

"It was Jurgen Klopp's squad and he has tried to travel successful and make changes, but he has spent £450m connected players and they are going backwards."

Slot told BBC Sport's Match of nan Day: "Another large disappointment.

"We started disconnected rather good for nan first half an hour. We conceded nan 1-0 and we weren't capable to play nan measurement we did successful nan first half hour.

"If things spell good aliases things spell bad, it's my responsibility.

"We weren't capable to create enough. I tried to set a fewer things but it didn't activity out."

Exhibit A for nan standard of nan existent diminution is Alexander Isak, pursued and yet signed from Newcastle United amid overmuch acrimony for a British grounds interest of £125m.

He arrived ringing rusty from his onslaught connected Tyneside, past picked up a groin wounded that put him connected nan sidelines. To opportunity he has had a mendacious commencement astatine Anfield is simply a masterpiece of understatement.

Slot gave Isak his chance here. If he did not precisely do nothing, he did adjacent to it.

He was peripheral, lightweight, lost.

It was almost an enactment of mercy erstwhile Slot replaced Isak pinch Federico Chiesa aft 68 minutes. Not a azygous eyebrow would person been raised wrong Anfield had he been put retired of his misery astatine half-time.

Isak was not alone. Liverpool subsided arsenic nan crippled went on.

Mohamed Salah has been pinpointed arsenic 1 facet successful Liverpool's slide, but he tin beryllium absolved here. He was nan 1 Liverpool subordinate who tin clasp his caput high.

For Slot, nan problems and nan unflattering statistic are starting to heap up for illustration rubble astir his feet.

The Dutch coach who showed specified a judge touch past play is abruptly floundering. He has not had immoderate answers since Eddie Nketiah's stoppage-time extremity inflicted connected Liverpool their first nonaccomplishment of nan play astatine Crystal Palace successful September.

Liverpool hinted astatine a revival pinch wins against Aston Villa, past a Champions League triumph astatine location to Real Madrid, but what has go normal work resumed erstwhile they were worked complete successful a 3-0 nonaccomplishment astatine Manchester City, past went down without hardly a conflict against Sean Dyche's revitalised Forest.

Even Slot's changes carried nan whiff of desperation - he replaced defender Ibrahima Konate pinch striker Hugo Ekitike aft 55 minutes. It had each nan hallmarks of a gamble, a changeable successful nan dark.

Most eyes turned towards nan hapless Isak, who was alternatively fixed different 13 minutes to corroborate this was not his day.

The diminution successful standards and basal levels of capacity since past play has had seasoned Anfield observers rubbing their eyes successful disbelief astatine what they are witnessing.

Florian Wirtz, bought for £116m from Bayer Levekusen this summer, was retired injured present - which mightiness person been a blessing successful disguise for him - but has besides grounded to produce.

The German has yet to people aliases supply an assistance successful nan Premier League.

As for nan stats, it is look distant now clip for Slot and Liverpool:

All nan frailties were connected show, from conceding nan opening extremity to Murillo from a corner.

Liverpool person conceded 9 convention goals from set-pieces - excluding penalties - this season, arsenic galore arsenic they did successful nan full of past season.

Their anticipated second-half revival lasted precisely nan 47 seconds it took erstwhile Liverpool defender Neco Williams to play successful Nicola Savona successful beforehand of nan Kop, who were stunned into silence.

The simplicity pinch which nan extremity was created exemplified Forest's excellence and Liverpool's deficiency of bosom and intensity.

Heart and intensity.

These were a fixed for Liverpool nether Klopp and past play nether Slot. They person hardly been seen this season, precocious wins covering up cracks that person been evident since August.

Morgan Gibbs-White applied nan coup de grace 12 minutes from nan end, by which clip galore Liverpool supporters had fixed up and headed for nan exits.

The fans ne'er turned connected their team, but nan subdued temper of resignation was conscionable arsenic damning. At nary constituent did Anfield person nan aerial of belief that has carried Liverpool to truthful galore comebacks.

This is wherever Liverpool and Slot find themselves - successful deep, deep, trouble.

Retaining nan title? Forget it.

No Premier League champions person successfully defended their title pinch 18 points aliases less astatine this shape of nan campaign. They are already 8 points down leaders Arsenal, who person a crippled successful hand.

Liverpool are 11th successful nan table. This is now a conflict to make judge they decorativeness successful nan Champions League places.

In their existent reduced circumstances, this will return a awesome turnaround. If he fails to find a solution, Slot will travel nether moreover much terrible pressure.