One of the many problems Arne Slot has is that when you are head coach of a club the size of Liverpool, explanations can quickly start to sound like excuses.
Slot may point to a turnaround time of around 60 hours between Wednesday night's visit from Galatasaray and this lunchtime kick-off, over 200 miles from Anfield. He may also direct a nod toward an injury list that saw him without Alexander Isak, Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker, to name just three.
And he might even be justified in speaking about the early injury setback to 17-goal top scorer Hugo Ekitike, who was unable to continue after an early reducer from James Milner.
But despite all of that, Liverpool are still expected to perform and they always will be, regardless of the circumstances. So those who had made it to the Amex Stadium in time for a kick-off that was delayed by 15 minutes were given very little to get behind on another damaging day for this Champions League quest.
A 10th league defeat of the campaign sends the club into the international break at a low ebb and it's a feeling that is becoming far too common for fans who are watching a group of players wholly unsuited to the battlegrounds of English football in 2026.
Liverpool don't like it in the trenches it seems.
Too many of this squad, in fact, are conscientious objectors, who need the right conditions and a fair wind to show a true reflection of their talent. Players like Ryan Gravenberch, all poise and balance, or the touch and technique of Florian Wirtz - there are too many gifted players in this group who simply don't have the stomach for the fight.
Present them with the glamour of the Champions League and it's all systems go. The likes of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Inter have all found that out en route to their quarter-final tie with holders Paris Saint-Germain.
But when tasked with working for the honour of competing in Europe's premier competition next season, it seems they don't fancy rolling up their sleeves and grafting.
Perhaps that sounds harsh given the tight schedule but if pressure is a privilege at Anfield then so too is a busy calendar at this juncture of the season. Despite having so much spent on it in the summer, this, as it transpires, is an ordinary squad who don't really deserve the Champions League on recent evidence.
If conceding in stoppage time has been Liverpool's real undoing this season, another horrendous habit they have is giving up easy goals and it happened once more here in the Sussex sunshine.
After a bad pass from Giorgi Mamardashvili and even worse control from Ibrahima Konate led to a throw high up the pitch for Brighton, the move ended with Danny Welbeck heading home at the back post. It was the hosts' first real meaningful foray towards Liverpool's goal.
In the circumstances, it was a pathetic goal for the Reds to concede, and another for the growing catalogue. However, the defensive lapses were at least evened up when Lewis Dunk's poor header was pounced upon by an alert Milos Kerkez to make it 1-1.
Before then, Liverpool had lost Ekitike to injury and it's been a tough week on that front for the Reds, who had already seen Salah and then Alisson pick up muscle issues of their own. Slot at least has the luxury of an upcoming fortnight off, but a small squad will only struggle further if those problems don't clear up soon.
If last season was notable for how few real issues Slot had to deal with as he and his backroom staff worked tirelessly to keep the treatment room empty, it's been a different story this time out.
Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni have been long-term absentees and Isak, who has struggled to reach 100% since his September arrival, hasn't played since December. Even players who haven't joined yet are sidelined, with £60m defender Jeremy Jacquet seeing his campaign ended at Rennes recently through a shoulder problem.
And while Slot can point to a lack of availability for too many too often, that cannot absolve him or those who are fit for action of the blame after yet another setback to their Champions League hopes.
Liverpool have taken one point from the last nine on offer against rock-bottom Wolves, a Tottenham side who were the butt of the jokes before their 1-1 draw and a Brighton outfit with little to play for. This 2-1 defeat was yet another painful watch for fans who had woken up in the small hours to make it here for midday.
Welbeck made it 2-1 in the second half and it never really looked like the Reds had it in them to rescue it. Alexis Mac Allister, who is a pale imitation of the player he was 12 months ago, headed wide from a corner and Bart Verbruggen made a good save to deny to Curtis Jones.
But that was about as exciting as it got as Liverpool, once more, found it virtually impossible to carve out anything resembling a big chance.
Slot may argue otherwise but the dearth of creativity in the final third has been evident all season in this league campaign that now sees them closer to the relegation zone than top spot. Try explaining that one.
