Merson was WRONG: Slotball isn't 'BORING'

Arne Slot suffered his first defeat as Liverpool boss on Saturday when his side lost 1-0 at Anfield to Nottingham Forest.

The loss came as a shock to many because of Liverpool’s impressive first three games, in which they took maximum points and didn’t concede a goal. This form even earned Slot a Manager of the Month nomination.

Liverpool are perfect no more, and the defeat to Forest marked the start of a difficult run where the Reds play seven times in just 21 days, including a trip to Italy.

Slot has already impressed the footballing world with his start at Liverpool but he now has an opportunity to impress even further by showing how he can react to, and overcome, a loss.

READ MORE: AC Milan manager distracted ahead of Liverpool clash

Boring boring Liverpool?

Arsenal icon Paul Merson had some choice words regarding Liverpool following their first defeat of the season.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Merson said: “I thought Liverpool were a bit boring, I thought it was slow, I thought - y’know when you watch Klopp’s teams play, they break and it’s 100 miles an hour and they break so quick.”

The irony in this analysis is that Merson himself was part of a side that inspired the chant ‘boring boring Arsenal’.

Merson added: “They’ve got to move it quickly y’know. Teams in this Premier League they get back so quickly, the one thing with these boys now – their quick, they get back into a shape, especially the teams that are the lesser teams.”

The 56-year-old has a point, teams in the Premier League are quick, and they are disciplined, but Liverpool can be quick too and just because Slot has a slightly different approach than Jurgen Klopp doesn’t mean Liverpool won’t catch teams on the break this season.

The pundit also warned that unless Liverpool “quicken up” he can’t see them challenging for the Premier League this year.

Are Liverpool slow?

Liverpool may be slower under Slot than they have been over the previous decade but that doesn’t mean they are slow.

Slot’s tactical approach when attacking is more patient and considered and isn’t the heavy metal gegenpressing football that Liverpool fans enjoyed when Klopp first arrived in Merseyside, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Liverpool, Ipswich Town, Brentford and Manchester United have all seen just how effective ‘Slotball’ can be and, although Saturday’s loss was disappointing, the Dutchman has the Reds in a very good position.

Liverpool’s attack may have been ineffective against Forest, but it has worked to great effect in every other game this season.

Anyone worried about ‘Slotball’ being too slow on the attack should be reminded of Luis Diaz’s opening goal against Brentford, which saw the ball go from a Brentford corner to the back of the Brentford net in less than 15 seconds.

Should Liverpool fans be worried by the Forest defeat?

Realistically, Liverpool were never going to finish the 2024/25 season having won every single game, that just doesn’t happen in football, but for your team’s first defeat to come at home to the side that finished 17^th in the league last season is undoubtedly disappointing.

Nottingham Forest are better this season though, they’re still unbeaten in the league and have taken eight points from their first four games, a very respectable total.

This result doesn’t automatically mean that Liverpool’s season is over, and it certainly doesn’t mean that ‘Slot-ball’ is slow and boring, but it should be something that Slot and his Liverpool team learn from.

Other sides around the Premier League will have been watching on Saturday, and they will have noted how effective Forest’s tactical set up was.

Slot must learn from this defeat, pick his team up and improve and Liverpool have the perfect opportunity to bounce back when they face AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday 17 September.