Slot Faces Mounting Pressure as Lewis Steele Describes “Most Embarrassing” Liverpool Defeat
Liverpool suffered another damaging blow to their season as Nottingham Forest — a side who began the day in the relegation zone — left Anfield with a comprehensive victory. In a campaign already marked by alarming inconsistency, this result felt especially bruising. Journalist Lewis Steele, reflecting on the performance, described it as “the worst, the most embarrassing, the most mentally and physically zapping defeat” Liverpool have endured this season.
Forest, under their third manager of the campaign, arrived with modest form and little expectation. Yet by full-time, they looked the more organised, composed and driven side — an indictment of Liverpool’s ongoing struggles under Arne Slot.
Lewis Steele: “Liverpool rolled over… they opened the door and said take what you want”
In his assessment, Steele was unequivocal in his criticism of Liverpool’s application and structure. “Forest deserved to win,” he said. “But Forest started the day in the relegation zone… and Liverpool basically bent over and said, ‘Come on lads, give us a spanking.’”
Steele added that Forest “looked like a well-coached team and a well-drilled team”, contrasting sharply with Liverpool, whom he said “just rolled over… opened the door into the house and said take what you want.”
His comments reflected a growing consensus that Liverpool’s issues are no longer about misfortune or narrow margins, but deeper systemic failings in both mentality and organisation.
Senior Players Criticised as Individual Errors Mount
Liverpool’s problems were evident across the pitch. From early misplaced passes to the collapse in structure late on, Steele did not exempt a single player from scrutiny.
“Allison gave the ball away too many times,” he noted, while expressing deeper concern over Ibrahima Konaté’s form: “He’s been calamitous at times… and this was probably his worst performance of the season.” Virgil van Dijk, long regarded as one of the world’s premier defenders, was also singled out: “These last few weeks — not for me,” Steele admitted.
Even attacking players failed to escape criticism. Mohamed Salah was “brilliant for half an hour and then did nothing”. Cody Gakpo was branded “wasteful”. The decision to start Alexander Isak, despite clear fitness concerns, baffled Steele: “Why on earth are you playing a half-fit player from the start?” He argued the £125 million forward is currently offering so little that “Liverpool are basically playing with 10 men when he’s on the pitch.”
Second-Half Collapse Raises Questions Over Slot’s Direction
Perhaps the most damning element of Steele’s critique related to the team’s complete second-half collapse. “This was nowhere near it,” he said of Liverpool’s performance, emphasising that Forest “looked like Real Madrid at times” despite their struggles for much of the season.
Steele was unsparing: “The second half here was the worst I’ve seen Liverpool play since I’ve been in this job.” While acknowledging that some previous defeats in recent years had been narrow or hard-fought, this one, he said, was “3-0 and no exaggeration, Forest could’ve had a fourth.”
The description underscored a widening gap between Slot’s tactical intentions and the execution on the pitch.
Slot Retains Credit — But Clock Is Ticking
Despite the bleakness of the current situation, Steele was measured regarding the future of the Liverpool manager. “The Slot-out brigade is still a bit premature,” he said. “He still has loads of credit based on last season.” Yet Steele made clear that such patience has a limit: “If Liverpool keep playing like this until Christmas, questions will have to be asked.”
Liverpool now sit 11th with a negative goal difference and face a run of fixtures — West Ham away, Sunderland at home, Leeds away — that no longer offer reassurance. “Anyone watching this today will think, ‘We can beat them,’” Steele concluded. “That is how far Liverpool have fallen this season. It has been shocking and it’s only getting worse.”
What comes next may define Slot’s standing at Anfield. The manager retains trust for now, but performances like this cannot continue if Liverpool are to salvage anything meaningful from the season.
