Liverpool narrowly secures points amidst poor performance
Arne Slot has conceded that Liverpool delivered their poorest performance of the campaign during their narrow victory against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, reports BritPanorama.
The Reds appeared completely off their game throughout the encounter, struggling to impose themselves, yet managed to escape with maximum points courtesy of Alexis Mac Allister, who struck in the dying moments of added time shortly after seeing a previous effort chalked off following a VAR review.
Despite the fortunate outcome, Slot was under no illusions about the quality of his team’s display on the day. Former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher offered a damning assessment of the opening 45 minutes, labelling it a “horror show” in his analysis. Forest dominated proceedings, leaving the visitors struggling to gain a foothold.
Slot acknowledged that his side had been thoroughly outplayed and did not merit the victory they ultimately secured. Nevertheless, he suggested that fortune was perhaps owed to his team, providing some consolation for the manner in which they claimed the points.
The Dutchman stated, “The first half was really poor, the worst we’ve played until now, I think. But the second half was much better, we controlled the game much more.” He added, “But we’ve been on the wrong side of the score after a good performance far too many times and today, I think we got more than we deserved. A draw would have been a fairer result than for us to win it.”
Liverpool were forced to change their line-up before kick-off after Florian Wirtz struggled with back pain during the warm-up. Slot mentioned, “We don’t think it’s very serious, but he felt his back too much during the warm-up to start. After being in this league for six, seven or eight months, he now understands that no matter how rich you are on the ball, you need to be 100 per cent at his level, so we decided not to play him. We hope and expect that he will be able to be with us again next week, but you never know how things work out.”
As Liverpool continues to navigate a challenging campaign, the juxtaposition of poor performances yielding results serves as a cautionary tale for a team in pursuit of consistency. The balance between luck and skill can often blur in the world of football, leaving observers to ponder the delicate line between success and failure.
