The China Mail - Slot feels 'guilty' over Liverpool's 'ridiculous' slump

Slot's side suffered an eighth defeat in their last 11 matches on Saturday when Nottingham Forest won 3-0 at Anfield in the Premier League.

The Reds were expected to dominate this term after following last season's Premier League title triumph with a summer spending spree on new signings.

Instead they have repeatedly been exposed defensively, while their midfield and forward play has been well below the standards set last seasons.

With Liverpool languishing 12th in the Premier League -- the first time in more than a decade they have been in the bottom half of the table -- it is likely that the Champions League represents a better chance of silverware.

But Slot knows Liverpool will have to improve dramatically to challenge for Europe's elite club prize.

Asked to describe Liverpool's predicament, Slot told reporters: "Ridiculous, almost. Something I didn't expect to be in, not at any club I worked at let alone if you are manager of Liverpool.

"That is unbelievable. It is unexpected for the club, for me, for everyone, but if you ever needed to face this maybe this is the best club to face it because the harder it gets the more we are together, the more we are trying to do the things Liverpool usually achieves.

"These situations, it's not really nice is it? I can tell you that. To be honest, I didn't expect myself to be in this situation with the way we go about it tactically and the quality of players we have.

"You would never have expected us to have lost so much. For sure I take the responsibility and feel guilty for it. We're busy working on it."

Amid criticism of Liverpool's perceived lack of desire during crucial moments, Reds captain Virgil van Dijk has called for the squad to take more individual responsibility.

Slot does not agree his players are shirking, instead claiming the tactics being employed against them are resulting in them lacking concentration at vital times.

- 'We have to take responsibility' -

"No, no we haven't," Slot said when quizzed on the claims that Liverpool have lost their hunger. "But in moments of games we have lost too many duels.

"If I have to defend for half-an-hour I am in defend mode, so I just to throw myself at every ball.

"But when our defenders and maybe even including the goalkeeper are thinking about ball possession and then in the moment they have to defend we are not as switched on as we should be."

Despite their domestic struggles, Liverpool are eighth in the Champions League table and in the final spot for automatic qualification for the last 16.

A victory over Dutch side PSV at Anfield would consolidate their top-eight position and provide a valuable morale boost after their sixth defeat in seven Premier League games.

Liverpool's Dutch forward Cody Gakpo revealed the squad have been talking at length about ways to resolve their problems.

"After the game on Saturday it was a kind of embarrassment because we lost 3-0 at home in front of our own fans, which is not good," the former PSV star said.

"In the days after that, we were, I don't want to say angry, but we tried to speak together and be honest with each other what we have to do to perform better on the pitch.

"Everybody is aware we have to take responsibility on and off the pitch. This was a conversation you have with a team-mate.

"It wasn't really a 'meeting' meeting but we are aware we have to take responsibility, that we have to do better with certain things on the pitch. That's what we spoke about."

D.Wang--ThChM