Liverpool defender admits key mistake after United defeat

There are defeats that feel deserved and others that feel avoidable, and this one sits firmly in the second category after we threw away a huge opportunity at Old Trafford.

We were second best early on but still found a way back into the game, which is why the manner of the defeat stings even more given how close we came to turning it around completely.

Konate admits Liverpool errors cost us

Speaking via Liverpoolfc.com, Ibou Konate didn’t shy away from responsibility, making it clear where the game was lost.

The French defender said: “For sure, it’s a big disappointment because I think we concede two goals that we must not concede when we start the game.”

That slow start handed momentum to United, and even though we recovered brilliantly after the break, it ultimately left us with too much to do.

He added: “[In] the second half we came back with a great mentality to [go] 2-2… and in other moments we can hurt them but we concede a goal and that’s why it’s very sad for us.”

That sense of frustration is shared by many of us watching, because once Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo levelled things up, it felt like the game was there to be won.

Familiar issues continue for Liverpool

The pattern Konate describes isn’t new, and it’s something that has been highlighted externally as well, particularly when it comes to how easily we can be exposed in transition.

Daniel Sturridge summed it up perfectly after the game, saying: “It is worrying. For me, what’s concerning is the consistency of the counterattacks they’re conceding.

“No-one really in the midfield or the attack is stopping the play higher up on the pitch.”

He continued: “The identity is not there… Right now, there’s not any phases of play for Liverpool. It’s quite one-on-one.”

Konate himself pointed to the same issue in a different way, explaining: “In the first half we lost many challenges… but in the second half we just had to change it and change the mentality.”

Despite the defeat, we’re still in a strong position, with Opta giving us a 97.15% chance of finishing in the top five and securing Champions League football.

But with Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brentford still to come, the message is clear, we can’t afford another performance where we only turn up for one half if we want to get the job done properly.