Liverpool 0-3 Nottingham Forest: Match Review
Liverpool suffered a 3-0 loss at the hands of Nottingham Forest as their dire Premier League form continued.
Steve Nicol has claimed that one Liverpool player has ‘escaped criticism’ during the dire run of form.
The Reds suffered their heaviest defeat at Anfield for almost five years as they were put to the sword by a Forest side that started the game in 19th place. Liverpool started the opening 30 minutes on top before the visitors scored from their first goal from a corner through Murillo.
Slot’s side barely responded after that, with Forest doubling their advantage inside 60 seconds of the second half through Nicolo Savona and Morgan Gibbs-White putting the gloss on the triumph.
Plenty of Liverpool players have faced scrutiny given the drop off in form. The likes of Ibrahima Konate, Mo Salah, Alexis Mac Allister and Milos Kerkez have faced flak for their performance levels. But Nicol believes that Ryan Gravenberch - who was the midfield linchpin last season when the Premier League title was lifted - hasn’t been doing enough.
What’s been said
Speaking on ESPN, the former Reds full-back said: “There is one guy who has escaped criticism so far... Gravenberch. This is a guy who, no question after Salah and maybe [Virgil] Van Dijk, was maybe Liverpool's best player last year. He was in the right place at the right time, made decisions, started attacks.
“His main job is to be that block in front of the back four, orders the other two around, let them go forward when they can and he fills in behind and covers the holes. He has done none of that this year. I know he missed a couple of games but he absolutely has done none of that. Gravenberch is another one who, as fantastic as he was last year, has completely disappeared again.”
‘You have to respond’
Former Liverpool winger Steve McManaman believes that no player can escape criticism. He said: “I think it’s on everyone. We all said they were amazing and this year, it’s been disappointing. It’s not Van Dijk, it’s not Salah, it’s every single one of them. They have to take responsibility for everything. You can take all the pats on the back when you win the league but when it goes the other way, you can to take criticism.
“It’s not good enough, you’re not good enough, they’re not good enough and you have to respond. Maybe the new signings maybe have not helped the team at all. New signings have come in, five or six have helped. The Diogo Jota tragedy has not helped various people, of course it hasn’t and we have no idea how it has affected people.
“But in the end, what goes on to how you respond to being champions and if you’re not responding to that, you have to kick on. This was the start of Liverpool’s resurgence because their fixtures have been called so-called easier until January and the fact they’ve started with this, you have no faith going forward.”
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