Following Liverpool’s first defeat of the season — in notably challenging difficulties due to injuries to key starting players and a harsh sending off — Miloš Kerkez spoke to the press about how the Reds will respond.
Kerkez did not shy away from disappointment: “The result is the most important in football, it’s definitely the result. We need to win games, this club needs to win games, so we need to do that.”
Though he made no excuses, the Liverpool left back did not shy away from the realities of
the game:
“We are frustrated, definitely. I think we did well in the first half. We pushed a lot and also when we had situations to defend I think we defended really well.
“Second half also [in the] beginning, when we attacked, we pushed [on the] front foot and we defended well. After that, this second yellow and it’s tough to play against them with one man less.
“The game was on, it was 0-0 and we pushed them. They had moments and we defended well. We pushed them again. The hame was on, definitely. It was just moments, ‘Who’s going to score first?’
“But at the end of the day, it’s football. We got the red and after that they kept the ball a lot and they’re really good on the ball, so it was tough.”
Kerkez is correct that prior to the sending off the game was in the balance, with Liverpool just about having the upper hand. Given the chances created, one would expect that a fit Cody Gakpo and especially — given the locations where chances took place — an Alexander Isak could have broken the deadlock in Liverpool’s favor. The added quality of Dominik Szoboszlai on set pieces would have made a difference in such a tight match as well, but the midfielder picked up an undisclosed hamstring injury on international duty.
Liverpool need to get back on the path to improvement on Wednesday against LASK, but may have to do so without these three key players, all of whom are working back towards fitness following frustrating Nations League injuries.
