Jamie Redknapp has urged Liverpool to be patient with Arne Slot despite a dismal run of form and a thumping weekend defeat to Nottingham Forest. The Tricky Trees produced a stunning 3-0 victory at Anfield, plunging the Premier League champions into a full-blown crisis and prolonging a run of form that has raised serious questions over Slot’s second season in charge.

Forest humble Liverpool again as crisis deepens

Forest’s win, their second triumph at Anfield in the space of 14 months, was clean and clinical. Sean Dyche’s side were disciplined, aggressive and, crucially, ruthless from set pieces, exposing once again Liverpool’s most glaring tactical weakness. The opener arrived in the 33rd minute when Murillo lashed in from the edge of the box after Liverpool failed to clear a corner. VAR ruled that Dan Ndoye did not obstruct Alisson’s line of sight, despite protests from the Liverpool players and bench. Minutes later, the hosts received an unexpected reprieve when Igor Jesus’ strike was controversially disallowed for handball. Forest doubled their advantage just after half-time with a composed finish from Nicolo Savona before Morgan Gibbs-White swept home a painful third in the 78th minute, prompting a mass exodus from the home stands.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRedknapp calls for calm as Slot comes under fire

Despite the scale of the collapse, Jamie Redknapp has urged Liverpool supporters, and the club’s hierarchy, not to abandon Slot after a brutal October and November spell. Speaking on , Redknapp insisted: "They [Liverpool] need to be patient, Arne Slot deserves that after last year."

Injuries force improvisation as Liverpool struggle to cope

Liverpool’s mounting injury list worsened on Saturday. Florian Wirtz and Conor Bradley both missed the game with fresh muscle issues, while Jeremie Frimpong remains sidelined. Their absence forced Slot into a patchwork solution, with Curtis Jones filling in at right-back. Alexander Isak returned up front but lacked sharpness and was replaced in the 68th minute by Hugo Ekitike. Neither forward made a meaningful impact.

As boos echoed around the stadium and supporters streamed out early, captain Virgil van Dijk did not hide from Liverpool’s failings. Speaking with rare bluntness, the 33-year-old condemned the team’s defensive organisation and suggested deeper issues behind the slump.

"We concede too many easy goals. They scored obviously from a set piece again," he said. "You can ask if he was in front of Alisson, but it counted, so we're 1-0 down. We were not good in terms of battles, challenges, the fight, too rushed. It's a very difficult situation at the moment. There was nervousness after we conceded, but not before. We tried to rush things and that's human when you're in a difficult moment. We cleared the ones before and in the end, we'te in a very difficult moment. We don't get out of it by just speaking about it. It will take a lot of hard work.

"It's a problem. Everyone in the team has to take responsibility as well. Football is a team and everyone has to take responsibility. We have to digest this and take it on the chin. We need to work harder. We have to keep going. Everyone is disappointed, like they should be, because losing at home to Nottingham Forest is, in my eyes, very bad. That's the least I can say about it. Those goals we conceded are far too easy and we all have to look in the mirror. I've been at this club so long now and we've been through adversity. We will bounce back but it doesn't happen overnight. I'm not a quitter and we will keep going. I can't decide what the supporters are doing if they leave early. I know the fans have been through thick and thin with us. They will be there with us when we come out of this because we will come out of this."

Getty Images SportSet-piece collapse exposes structural weakness

Liverpool’s fragility from set pieces is now undeniable. According to Opta, the Reds have conceded nine goals from dead-ball situations this season, the third-worst record in the Premier League. They are letting in 1.81 goals per game, a dramatic drop from the discipline that defined last year’s title-winning campaign, when they conceded only 41 across the entire season. Four of their last six matches have seen Liverpool ship three goals, a staggering statistic for a team that spent heavily last summer on attacking reinforcements but neglected defensive recruitment. 

Their failed pursuit of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi has quickly become one of the major sliding-door moments of the summer window. With the England defender still high on their January shortlist, Liverpool may attempt to revive negotiations. But until then, Slot must rely on a strained, out-of-form back line to stop the rot.