Liverpool manager Arne Slot was not happy with his side despite the Reds maintaining their 100 per cent record to the Champions League group stage with a 1-0 win over Girona.
Mohamed Salah’s second half penalty separated the two sides, with the Reds continuing their streak as the only team to win every game of the competition’s new format.
One more point would see them qualify for the last 16 phase as one of eight automatic qualifiers.
But speaking after the game, Slot still wasn’t happy with what he saw from his players in Spain.
He stated: “Our standards have to go up if we want to achieve something in the competition.
“I’m not pleased about the performance today. Especially two things. Every time we lost the ball, we were not aggressive and they can reach our goal. Hardly any control.
“You need to be so intense if you want to make it difficult for them. This team can cause you a lot of problems, and they showed that during the whole Champions League campaign … I almost feel sorry for them because they deserve more than the three points they have so far in this campaign. But we have an incredible goalkeeper.
“The second half was a bit better, but I am trying to be positive. Maybe the first five or 10 minutes they [Girona] went on the counter attack one or two times.
“It wasn’t always easy for us to press them well but I don’t think it had that much to do with tactics. In general we were by far not aggressive enough without the ball. Maybe the goal helped us.”
Reacting to Slot’s comments, Liverpool fans praised the manager for his honesty despite yet another Champions League victory.
One wrote: “I absolutely love how blunt he is with the press. Takes no prisoner attitude with the press and then, I’m sure the team on training days!”
Another said: “This guy doesn’t settle for anything less than ‘work your socks off’. Good times ahead.”
And a third added: “I like this man, I like him a lot. Not too much annoyance but enough to let everyone know. I bet it was a bit different behind closed doors.”
