Arne Slot didn't show up to an awards ceremony after Liverpool's bad 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Slot was named manager of the year by the Northern Football Writers' Association for his first season with the Reds, which saw them do great in the Premier League.

But now, things are tough for Liverpool. They're trying to rebuild the team and aren't playing well, losing eight of their last 11 games.

Instead of Slot, Liverpool sent club ambassador Gary McAllister to get the award. Slot said he wouldn't be there at 4 pm on Sunday.

McAllister was at Leeds' game against Aston Villa when he got a call during halftime to fill in for Slot.

McAllister told everyone at the event that Slot was sorry he couldn't make it. He shared a quick message from Slot, who said he was very proud to win the award.

Earlier that weekend, Liverpool lost to Nottingham Forest 3-0.

Other people honoured at the event included Daniel Farke from Leeds, Phil Parkinson from Wrexham, and Eddie Howe from Newcastle.

Erik ten Hag was the last big Premier League manager to go to the awards. He won last year for winning the FA Cup with Manchester United in the 2023-24 season.

Just days later, Man United fired Ten Hag and replaced him with Ruben Amorim.

After the loss to Forest, who won back-to-back at Anfield for the first time since 1978, Slot took most of the blame.

"I want to say that I'm responsible for the losses we've had," he said. You're responsible when you're winning, but also when you're losing.

I can't make enough excuses for our results. They're not good enough, and I'm responsible for that.

It's my job if we win or lose. But I see that the team—and the fans who stayed until the end—keep trying. Except for the Manchester City game (two weeks ago), we've been the better team in every other game and created chances.

Lately, we keep missing our chances, and we let in goals. That won't keep happening all season. We need a boost to score a goal. If you're playing well and score to go up 1-0, the other team loses energy.

But the opposite happened… they got a big energy boost from scoring 1-0. I see a lot of things that would normally lead to a different result, but we're in a tough spot now, and we need to do even more when things aren't going our way.

Liverpool's captain, Virgil van Dijk, says his team needs to simplify things to fix their current drop in the standings after they lost badly at home to Nottingham Forest, which equalled their worst home loss in the Premier League era.

Van Dijk mentions that the Liverpool players are currently failing themselves and their coach, Arne Slot, because there are problems everywhere on the field. The Reds now have more goals scored against them than they have scored in the league, and they are likely to let in 63 goals this season, which is just two fewer than Spurs allowed last season under Ange Postecoglou when they finished 17th.

"I don't think the first thirty minutes were bad at all, but after they scored, we seemed too hasty and worried in our playing style until halftime, trying to force things," Van Dijk told reporters at Anfield.

"They scored a goal that wasn't counted, but the way we began the second half was not acceptable, so it ended up being a very, very, very disappointing afternoon for us.

"It's difficult to handle, but it's the truth. I won't give up, and we'll keep trying, but that doesn't mean it's easy to accept what is happening.

"We talked at halftime about what we wanted to achieve, but then we allowed a very easy goal. When you're down 2-0, the situation changes completely."

Nottingham Forest outplayed and deservedly defeated Liverpool, showing worrying signs for the team. Although they started strong, the Reds seemed to fall apart after conceding a goal, and they haven't gained any points this season when they let in the first goal.

"It's a mix of things," Van Dijk explained. "The first thirty minutes were good. We made chances and had moments where we crossed the ball in front of Mats Selz—Macca (Alexis Mac Allister) was ready for a shot, and Milenkovic made a great block.

"We played well, but then we conceded a goal, and panic set in. It's a team problem, and we need to try and stay calm and make the right plays.

"Halftime arrives, and we discuss doing the right things, but we don't do them. That is hard to accept and deal with.

"We have every right to be angry. The most important thing for me is that everyone needs to be responsible. You have to do that. That is the main thing I want the boys to do.

"It's not easy when times are tough, but we have to do it if we want to overcome this situation."

Now that Liverpool has lost as many Premier League games as it has won this season, it is in the lower half of the league. With little hope of winning the title, it is struggling to qualify for the Champions League as things stand.

"We're trying to be consistent, but we let in too many goals to even talk about it right now," Van Dijk added. "We had some good days of practice and some helpful meetings.

"But ultimately, it's about what you do on the field. We gave up a goal, and then we weren't good for 15 minutes.

"The second half began, and then we were down 2-0. It's obviously a totally different situation. We played against Forest, who won physical battles against us.

"I want everyone to take responsibility on the field. You have to do that to help each other improve.

"When someone is putting pressure on, you need to support that pressure. These are basic things, but they don't happen enough. We need to get back to that, and it's easier to focus on yourself rather than the team when things aren't going well."

Alexander Isak wasn't noticeable but needs games to get back up to speed, while Ibrahima Konate's worrying form continued—like Liverpool as a whole, starting strong but quickly declining.

"In the days before the game, we prepared very well for three or four days," Van Dijk said. "During the game, you have to deal with what's happening, and we conceded from a set piece in the first half and gave up a bad second goal at the start of the second half.

"If we are letting [Arne Slot] down, we definitely are. We are also letting ourselves down. That is why I said to look at yourself first and then help others. Right now, things are a mess; that's just how it is.

"As the champions, we shouldn't be in the situation we're in now. But it's the reality. So what are we going to do about it? We're going to try to change things. That's the attitude everyone should have.

This article contains affiliate links; we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more.

"The consistency we had last year was amazing, but the truth is, we don't have any consistency this year. We let in too many goals, and we don't score enough.

"We are losing battles, and everyone is responsible. I hope everyone sees that. We must take responsibility to turn things around. It's easy to blame others, but we have to do it together.

"We were united when we won the league, and everyone was happy. When you go through a difficult time, you have to stick together and face the challenges.

"Right now, it's exhausting. But there's no other option. Wednesday is another game, so what am I going to do? Go home and cry? No, I'm going home to think about how we can change things."