Arne Slot press conference: The head coach’s verdict on Forest 1-1 Liverpool

On his overall view of the game…

I couldn’t have asked for more today. I think most people talk about the second half – that they are really positive about the second half. If you ask me, I’m also more positive about the second half than the first half, but when you play on this pitch against this team, who are in such good form, hardly concede a chance in every game – and I’ve seen many of them back. So many counterattack threats, almost every game they have counterattack after counterattack after counterattack. We only conceded one counter attack here today in 98 minutes of total dominance football. Unfortunately for us, the ball went in immediately.

So in the second half our possession also led to a lot of chances. Again you have to give credit to Nottingham because the way they defend, they throw themselves in front of shots, in front of every cross and then there is a goalkeeper who is having an outstanding season this year and again tonight. To be 1-0 down here and it’s so difficult to score against this team, it’s not what we wanted – we want three points, but at the end of the day, but what I want, what the fans want and what the players must have. is that they give it everything they got during every single game they play. That’s what they did today combined with excellent football in the second half.

Om tonight highlighted some areas he would like to strengthen in the transfer window…

I think you saw again today that I can still strengthen the team or influence the game with the substitutes I have on the bench. Not for the first time this season, these players have helped us that I could bring in. If you look at today, like I said, I couldn’t have asked for more. I said to them at half-time, don’t get frustrated, you’re not going to get many chances, probably the game is going to be slow, but just keep focusing on what you have to do and hopefully you’ll get two or three chances and let’s try to score based on that. I was completely wrong because they created chance after chance after chance.

On how difficult Forest are to play against and whether their style is ‘unique’…

I wouldn’t say unique, but the style of play suits the players really well, and I think that’s what every manager’s job is: to try to find a style of play that suits your players. What makes it difficult, and we faced it not only against them but we also faced it a bit against (Manchester) United, is that they play the long ball and they have some very good players for this. So first of all you have to make sure you win the first ball and then the second or the third ball because they play the ball off Wood who is a very strong keeper and then they have got these quicks up there who can hurt you too.

But the moment you win the second or third ball, there are 11 players behind the ball and it is so difficult to score against teams that play in a low block; it is so difficult to create chances against such teams. And yes, that’s why it was so disappointing for us to go down 1-0, because then they could even play their style even better, which made it a difficult night for us, because apart from the (Forest) players that I have to give compliments, I also have to give compliments to the fans because they were really there for the home team and tried to influence the game as much as they could. They were a big help to Forest tonight.