Dominik Szoboszlai told in no uncertain terms by Arne Slot he needs to be better

Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai underperformed against Nottingham Forest as the Reds suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at Anfield, and he's been told to improve by head coach Arne Slot .

After making a perfect start under the new head coach with three consecutive Premier League wins, Liverpool's players looked sluggish after returning from the international break. Anfield, which has become a fortress for Liverpool over the last decade, was silenced after Callum Hudson-Odoi scored the only goal of the game.

It was a poor performance from the entire Liverpool roster, although Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah stood out in particular. Salah failed to leave his mark on the game and became greedy out of desperation, while Szoboszlai consistently gave the ball away and struggled to inspire creativity in the final third of the field.

It was likely a blip from Salah, who has been consistent since signing for Liverpool in 2017 and establishing himself as a club legend. Szoboszlai on the other hand has struggled to stay in form since joining the Reds last summer and has been given a clear demand by Slot .

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"I think all of the squad players have an important role, every player feels more important when they play," Slot said when evaluating Szoboszlai's performance. "Everyone has their role and they will all play.

"He has been important for us and his pressing has been outstanding. Something we have to work on is making him even more involved in scoring goals. He scored three last season but for an attacking midfielder at Liverpool, his numbers need to go up. I am confident with the quality he has and the players around him he will score more goals as well."

Szoboszlai had played in two international games for Hungary before returning to Liverpool but was ruled fit enough to start.

Szoboszlai dealt with injury issues towards the end of last season but struggled to work his way back into the team and was benched by former Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp. Hungary national team head coach Marco Rossi claimed last season that Szoboszlai wouldn't care as it would benefit him on international duty.

"Knowing him, he certainly won't be bothered by this situation," said Rossi. "I think that he’s thinking that the time that he’s not spending on the pitch with Liverpool will give him more power and more freshness for our matches. I hope for this. He will arrive fresh and this is good overall for us. I also think that he will not suffer from the psychological aspect of this situation."

Rossi is confident that Szoboszlai is mentally strong, but it remains to be seen whether the midfielder will rise to Slot's demands this season.