Milos Kerkez Calls for Liverpool Response After Man City Defeat and Before LASK Clash
Liverpool have no time to wallow, and that is probably for the best. After a 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City, attention has already shifted to the Champions League and the trip to face LASK. Milos Kerkez made the point plainly when discussing the setback, with his comments to liverpoolfc.com underlining the obvious truth in elite football, results drive everything.
The left-back did not dress it up. “The result is the most important [thing] in football. It’s definitely the result. We need to win games, this club needs to win games, so we need to do that.” That is the reality at a club like Liverpool, where a first defeat under Andoni Iraola quickly becomes a talking point and where the next match becomes an immediate test of character.
Liverpool reaction after Man City defeat
Kerkez’s assessment of the City loss was measured. Liverpool were competitive for long periods, defended with discipline and looked firmly in the contest while it remained 11 against 11. The sending-off for Ryan Gravenberch changed the balance, then City did what top sides do, they controlled possession, waited for the spaces and punished Liverpool late on.
Kerkez said: “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 [them 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 game 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.”
Photo: IMAGO
LASK now offers immediate reset
This is where Liverpool have to be clinical mentally. A bad result becomes a bigger problem when it lingers. The LASK fixture offers a chance to correct the mood, stabilise the conversation and put points on the board in Europe. That matters, because clubs at this level are judged relentlessly and sympathy runs out quickly.
Kerkez’s message was simple and correct. No excuses, no indulgence, just the need to win the next one.
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From a Liverpool perspective, this all sounds fine, but words are cheap after a 3-0 defeat at Anfield. Saying results matter is hardly groundbreaking. Of course they do. Supporters did not need telling that after watching City walk away with three goals once the game turned.
The frustrating part is that Kerkez is probably right. Liverpool were in the contest for a long spell and the red card changed everything. But that only goes so far. Big clubs cannot keep hiding behind moments. Discipline is part of the job. Game management is part of the job. Keeping your head when the pressure rises is part of the job.
What supporters will want in Austria is something far more convincing than brave talk. They will want a performance with authority, intelligence and edge. They will want players who look angry in the right way, not reckless. They will want a team that understands a defeat at home to City cannot be shrugged off with standard post-match lines.
If Liverpool beat LASK, the mood calms down. If they labour, or worse, drop more points, then this report starts to look like the usual damage control. At this club, you do not get much credit for explaining a defeat. You get credit for putting it right immediately.