'Reality is Slot needs answers quickly'
- Published
Liverpool's only goal at the Amex came from a Brighton mistake and, even after going behind again in the second half, Arne Slot said that the Seagulls were more likely to make it 3-1 rather than his side earning a draw.
As ever, it would be hard to pin the blame entirely on the manager but, ultimately, it is his team that are regularly underperforming.
For a man who has always emphasised his desire to play good football, he cannot have enjoyed what he has seen for bulks of this season.
Liverpool were superb in midweek against Galatasaray but have been woeful in their past three Premier League games.
Those 62 hours between Galatasaray and Brighton are gone and it is now about the next fortnight, where most of the Liverpool players will be on international duty. Slot will know that it may well go a long way to defining his future.
"Let's hope the national team coaches help us out by not playing 180 minutes over two games," he pleaded on Match of The Day.
When they come back, Liverpool travel to Manchester City for their FA Cup quarter-final against Pep Guardiola's side before a trip to Paris to take on Paris St-Germain in the same stage of the Champions League. The return leg at Anfield is six days later.
"If they go and play like that in Paris it could be 10-0," said former Liverpool left-back Stephen Warnock on 5 Live.
"That's how bad Liverpool were today. Brighton weren't clinical and tried to walk it in, but PSG will be clinical. It's very, very worrying for Liverpool"
With seven top-flight games left, Liverpool's tally of 10 Premier League defeats this season is already their most since 2015-16.
When BBC Sport asked Slot if it was a worry that his side is making the wrong kind of records, he responded: "Of course. It says a few things.
"First of all, it says what a great team Liverpool have had in the last 10 years and a great manager as well. I could come and tell you all the reasons why we've lost this season 10 times.
"One of them is late goals. Today sums it all up in terms of our injury problems - to go without three great goalscorers [Ekitike, Isak and Salah] is never helpful for any team.
"But it's not my job to make excuses. My job is to find answers and that's what I tried to do again today.
Slot has already conceded that it would be unacceptable if Liverpool are not playing Champions League football next season, even if he stays in the job.
And the reality is that he needs answers quickly or else those unwanted records may no longer be his only worry.
