Liverpool manager Arne Slot spoke to the media as his side prepares to host PSV Eindhoven.

The Premier League champions have won all three previous encounters against the Dutch visitors at Anfield, a record that will give Liverpool some confidence after a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend, which has left them 12th in the league.

Liverpool must improve

Slot, under mounting pressure, addressed the Forest loss and highlighted the need for better defending to reverse their domestic struggles.

“Until now, it hasn’t been an issue,” he said. “If you look at how we played most of the game, the first half-hour on Saturday was everything we hoped it would be, apart from scoring.

“We haven’t always created that many chances against a team with a low block. First time they had an attack, they scored, then we conceded again at the start of the second half.

“I showed them how many times we arrived in the box and how many crosses we made — six or seven times more than Forest did. But they defended their box much better than we did. That’s what everyone is reminding us, and we are reminding ourselves. We have to help ourselves to defend better. On the ball, we aren’t doing a lot differently to last season, but the goals conceded are the problem.”

Despite winning three of four Champions League matches, Slot did not shy away from criticizing his side’s poor domestic form.

“We are conceding more goals than last season,” he said. “This time last season, we conceded zero from set-pieces; now it’s nine. The number of goals is close to ridiculous for a club like us.

“It is ridiculous. It is unbelievable. I have said many times that you will never find enough excuses for us to perform like this. It’s unexpected — for the club, for me, for everyone. But this is maybe the best club to face it: the harder it gets, the more we are together.”

Slot tears into his side

For the first time in over a decade, Liverpool find themselves in the bottom half of the Premier League table, suffering eight defeats in their last 11 matches across all competitions. With their title hopes gone, attention now turns to securing a top-four finish.

Slot admitted his disbelief at the club’s poor form but took full responsibility.

“To stay calm, I don’t find it that difficult,” he said. “It’s in my character. Most people would describe me as a calm person. These situations aren’t nice — it’s never nice to lose, especially at a club like Liverpool.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect to be in this situation given the way we go about things tactically and the quality of players we have. You can say it’s the sixth out of seven losses in the Premier League, but in the last four matches we’ve lost two, and in the Champions League we’ve won three.

“But it’s lower than the level expected at Liverpool. I take responsibility; I feel guilty for it. We are working on it.

“I’m at a club where we aren’t just used to success but also times when we aren’t successful. We are going to give extra effort. As a manager, I try to lead by example and try even harder.

“We haven’t really found the right answer to turn defeats into victories. But when you are 1-0 ahead and you lose, how do you explain that? It shows how difficult it has been for us to come from behind and turn things around. Hopefully, we can go ahead tomorrow night.”

Does Slot have to prove himself?

Slot was also asked whether he now needs to prove himself to the Liverpool fans, many of whom have called for his dismissal despite last season’s success.

“Every day you have to prove yourself if you’re working at a club at this level,” he said. “You can’t say you’ve won the league and everything is okay. At this level, the next game is the most important — for the players and for me.

“Working in this environment, you can never rest; you have to keep going, especially when things aren’t going well. I don’t know if I have to prove myself to the fans as much as I have to prove to myself.”