The Reds host Ipswich tomorrow afternoon with Slot impressed by their opponents' progress as the season has worn on.
He said this morning: "The fact was that I only worked with 13 or 14 players for 10 days back then (before the first Ipswich game). To be fair, it felt a bit the same for me, 12, 13 o4 14 players came in one week before the season so it is normal that we have improved, especially the second half performance was quite similar to what I see currently.
"They have been unlucky in times of games. Second half of season always more difficult because teams strengthen themselves and work with managers for half a season so a team becomes better and that is the case for Ipswich. It's fair to say they have improved and that is a compliment to Kieran McKenna. He made it difficult for us in first game but at a certain point they have become a better maybe except the last game verses Man City.
"If a low block works hard to create chance after chance, it's tough."
Asked about the approach of his Bosman trio, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah and their "professionalism", Slot joked: "Better to (be called professional) than amateurs! I get questions about Mo and players so you have to come up with something new, because we're doing well, people talk about us and it's tough to come up with something new.
"If I listen to you, the word professional is used. Does that mean we are controlling games? No errors? I don't know if it's meant positive or negative. Every single game we have more chances and we deserve to win except for one game - Chelsea at home, a draw would have been more fair but every game we were dominant. A certain style and it's up to anyone to describe it. Professional. Ok. That's a good thing then."
On the progress of Harvey Elliott, the manager insisted: "Just keep bringing in performances like he is. It's not only about the players, it's about the competition and he is competition with 5 players and some youngsters as well. Wata, Ryan, Curtis, Macca and himself, the midfielders we have at the moment, so he has to bring up performances like he has and then his playing time will increase."
Slot also admitted he won't risk fielding Ibrahima Konate three games a week.
He explained: "It's safe for him to play but you're aware of playing someone every three days when they have been out for a bit. He is not in a moment where he can play three times a week.
"He is already very good so it's a centre-back that without him even touching it he is impressive, so strong and tall. He can improve his play with the ball, bringing it out from the back. He can go to another level there and I have already seen improvements there but defensively he is of the highest standard, he can cover for team-mates, one-v-one with space at his back, so not a lot he can improve.
"Bringing it out from the back, which is not just his job, but we work on that a lot. Not only him but the others too. For all the possession we have we would like to create more chances and that starts from bringing it out."
On left-back Kostas Tsmikas challenging senior teammate Andrew Robertson, Slot continued: "If Kostas was on a different level to Robbo then it would not be smart to rotate or manage the load because you drop too much in quality and that's a risk. I know Kostas didn't play a lot last season but from the moment I came in he has done well and he has proven he can play at left-back. We have two good options, so we manage loads and rotate quite a bit."
Meanwhile, Slot admits he's getting complaints from his father about his recent tactics.
He laughed: "It is difficult for fans and my father is a fan and I call him and he says it wasn't exciting as other games, the Lille one and I have to explain to him you can easily lose if you force difficult balls but he doesn't always agree with me!
"As a manager I was happy with our performance against Lille, there was one moment in the game Curtis (Jones) played a ball at the halfway line and we lost it and countered, so that is the risk you have v a low block team. Forest are the best in the league at that against playing these stupid balls that my father would love to see us playing more."