Is Arne Slot losing the dressing room? Liverpool collapse fuels job fears

November 24, 2025 Oliver Obel

Forest started aggressively and unsettled Liverpool early. They thought they had doubled their lead when Igor Jesus finished from close range, but the goal was correctly overturned for handball.

The reprieve did little to shift the momentum. As The Guardian reported, former Liverpool full-back Neco Williams found space down the right and squared for Nicola Savona, who guided in Forest’s second.

There was little in Liverpool’s play to suggest a response was coming. The pressing was sporadic, the midfield struggled to control transitions, and the crowd’s early frustration gradually turned into a sort of weary acceptance.

With 12 minutes left, Morgan Gibbs-White punished more hesitant defending to seal a result that felt inevitable.

BBC coverage noted the defeat could leave Liverpool as many as 11 points behind Arsenal by Sunday night — a sizable gap at this stage of the season and a worrying reflection of their stuttering form under Slot.

Issues stretching beyond the touchline

The manager will inevitably attract criticism, but the unease runs through the squad. Several senior players looked short of confidence and conviction, and the defensive unit in particular played without its usual authority.

Ibrahima Konate, normally a stabilising figure, endured another erratic outing, one that seemed symptomatic of a broader fragility rather than a single poor performance.

Isak’s difficult adaptation continues

Record signings often face inflated expectations, but Alexander Isak’s slow start is becoming impossible to overlook. Liverpool paid £125 million for the striker to become the focal point of Slot’s evolving attack. Instead, the early weeks have been marked by misfires and uncertainty.

Numbers highlighted by GIVEMESPORT underscored another difficult outing: one off-target attempt, 15 touches across 68 minutes, seven turnovers, no successful dribbles, and no duels won.

He completed six of eight passes but rarely offered the outlet Liverpool needed. With one goal in nine appearances, the narrative is shifting from “slow start” to “genuine concern.”

Slot is understood to have viewed Isak as a reliable release option in transition, but his hold-up play repeatedly broke down. While he missed the bulk of pre-season — and the effects are still visible — it is increasingly plausible that Hugo Ekitike could become the preferred option if Isak’s form does not turn soon.

Criticism grows as patience thins

Reaction after the match was blunt across the football press. James Pearce of The Athletic noted that Slot “has a stack of problems,” identifying Konate and Isak among the most pressing.

Henry Winter of The Times wrote that although Slot will face intense scrutiny for Liverpool’s muddled start, responsibility must also fall on the players — both newcomers and established figures.

Supporters struck a similarly divided tone online. Some argued Isak’s isolation reflects deeper structural issues, while others insisted a £125 million signing should be imposing himself regardless of system.

Both perspectives underline the same truth: Liverpool look uncertain of their identity, and their new striker has yet to provide the spark they hoped for.

A team in search of direction

Liverpool are not in freefall, but the sense of drift is unmistakable. A stabilising win would ease pressure on Slot and restore some clarity to a team struggling to stitch its ideas together. Isak, too, needs a performance that resets the narrative and reaffirms his place in the plan.

For now, Liverpool sit in an uncomfortable space — not collapsing, but not progressing either. And as the fixtures tighten and the table begins to stretch, time will no longer feel as forgiving.

Sources: The Guardian, BBC, The Athletic, The Times, GIVEMESPORT