Liverpool’s defeat at Brighton felt like another painful step backwards after the high of the Galatasaray win, and Milos Kerkez didn’t try to dress it up afterwards.
Speaking after the match, our left-back was refreshingly honest about both the performance and the wider disappointment of failing to build on such an encouraging European night.
Referencing the result in his post-match interview with Liverpoolfc.com, Kerkez accepted that Brighton deserved credit and admitted we simply didn’t do enough to control the game.
“I think they definitely played good, had more chances. I think we didn’t create as much as we wanted and it was a tough day, definitely.”
The Hungary international also acknowledged what many of us could see from the stands, that the hosts looked fresher and sharper for long periods.
“You could see some of us were maybe a bit tired also. They did good, [so] credit to them.”
Even so, the 22-year-old made it clear he wasn’t interested in leaning too heavily on that as an explanation.
“I don’t like this excuse. We know where we are in the standings in the Premier League and we know we have to push.”
That honesty fits with what Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo also said after the game, both of them admitting once again that we failed to build on a strong result and that injuries disrupted the rhythm of the side.
Kerkez did at least provide one of the few bright moments of the afternoon with a sharp piece of anticipation to equalise in the first half.
Explaining the goal, the defender said: “The ball went back to Giorgi [Mamardashvili] and I made a deep run.
“I know he [Dunk] likes to give the balls to the goalkeeper with his chest and to head it back, so I just thought I’d continue the run.”
He added: “He sent it back and it was not a bad finish. But when you don’t go out with three points, it doesn’t really matter.”
That sums up the mood perfectly, because individual moments count for little when the team keeps slipping backwards.
Kerkez’s final message was about what comes next, with Manchester City, PSG and Fulham all on the horizon.
“All of these games are going to be massively important and we have to come back fit and ready.”
