Invoking the name of Bill Shankly at Anfield typically conjures images of triumph and transformation. Yet Liverpool head coach Arne Slot found himself compared to the iconic Scotsman for all the wrong reasons after Saturday’s bruising 3-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest.
The loss marked only the second time since April 1965—during Shankly’s tenure—that Liverpool have suffered consecutive league defeats by a margin of three goals or more, following their heavy reverse at Manchester City. It was also their sixth league defeat in seven matches, leaving last season’s Premier League champions languishing in 12th place, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal.
Chairman Tom Werner witnessed the collapse firsthand after flying in from the United States, only to be confronted with a performance that further intensifies scrutiny of Slot. Despite masterminding a title-winning debut campaign, the Dutchman now finds himself under mounting pressure as critics question how a £450m summer outlay has resulted in such a dramatic downturn.
Below are the key issues Slot must address to steady Liverpool’s season.
Werner returned home having watched a dismal display from £125m signing Alexander Isak—sparking renewed debate over whether Liverpool’s marquee summer purchase was worth the investment.
Signed from Newcastle after a contentious transfer saga, the Sweden international delivered an abject performance against Forest. He managed just 14 touches—only two in the opening 25 minutes—and his lethargic body language fuelled concerns about his fitness, confidence, and suitability for Slot’s system.
The numbers speak bluntly: Isak looked isolated, underprepared and mentally detached. The contrast with Darwin Núñez—often criticised but always industrious—was glaring.
His struggles are compounded by the £116m arrival of Florian Wirtz, who has yet to register a Premier League goal or assist and has struggled to cope physically with the league’s pace and intensity. Injured for the Forest defeat, Wirtz has appeared tactically awkward both centrally and on the left.
Hugo Ekitike, by contrast, has hit the ground running. With six goals this season—including his first for France—the decision to bench him in favour of Isak felt more like a coach forcing an expensive signing into form rather than picking on merit. At nearly £200m combined, there is still no convincing evidence the pair can play together.
Isak remains an expensive puzzle. Wirtz is an adaptation project. Slot needs both firing—and quickly.
Wayne Rooney suggested in his BBC podcast that Mohamed Salah’s starting place should be under threat, arguing the Egyptian’s defensive work rate has slipped in recent defeats.
Salah has indeed faced criticism for not tracking back against Chelsea, Brentford and Manchester City. Yet against Forest, he was Liverpool’s only real attacking spark, even if he faded late on.
Slot has benched him twice this season—in Champions League fixtures against Galatasaray and Eintracht Frankfurt—with mixed results. Although not at his world-class peak, Salah remains one of Liverpool’s few match-winners during a period of widespread underperformance.
Any discussion of Liverpool without Salah should begin when he departs for the Africa Cup of Nations in December—not now, when he is one of the few players offering genuine threat.
Last season, Slot’s clarity and precision were the hallmarks of Liverpool’s title charge. Intelligent structural tweaks, shrewd substitutions and a cohesive midfield trio—Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai—defined their success.
This stability has vanished.
The introduction of Wirtz has disrupted Liverpool’s balance, leaving the midfield stretched and exposing a defence already weakened by injuries and poor form. Slot’s tactical decision-making has appeared muddled, highlighted by Szoboszlai being deployed as an emergency right-back against Forest—depriving the midfield of its most dynamic presence.
The £70m overhaul at full-back has faltered. Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong have been injured, while Milos Kerkez has struggled on the left. Frimpong, when fit, looks more like a wing-back than a traditional full-back. Meanwhile, Joe Gomez—experienced at right-back—was overlooked in favour of ad hoc solutions.
Substitutions in the Forest match lacked coherence, underscored by removing Ibrahima Konaté early for Ekitike in what felt like a desperate tactical gamble rather than a planned shift.
Reinstating last season’s structure, and avoiding unnecessary experimentation, may be Slot's best route back to stability.
Liverpool’s deadline-day attempt to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi collapsed at the final moment, leaving major gaps unaddressed.
The England defender would have strengthened the back line alongside Virgil van Dijk and offered needed competition for Konaté, whose form has deteriorated this season ahead of his contract expiring next summer.
Liverpool's defensive record highlights the urgency: 20 league goals conceded in 12 games, compared to just eight in the same period last year. Nine have come from set-pieces—matching last season’s entire total.
Guehi must once again become a priority target. Yet the landscape has changed:
Still, Liverpool’s defensive frailties leave little choice: if an opportunity to sign him reopens, they must seize it.
Liverpool’s season may not be beyond salvage, but the warning signs are unmistakable. Slot needs clarity, conviction and decisive action—because the slide is accelerating, and solutions are becoming more urgent by the week.
