Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna acknowledged Liverpool just “showed their quality” in the second half at Portman Road, where Arne Slot began his Premier League career with a 2-0 victory.
Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah scored on Saturday afternoon, giving the Reds three points on their first visit to Ipswich since February 2002.
After a generally level first half, the visitors stepped up their game in the second half, missing a slew of chances before goals from Jota and Salah at 60 and 65 minutes.
After the game, McKenna admitted that his team had little control over Liverpool’s superiority, saying: “There were a lot of positives to take, especially in the first half.
“I thought it was a great first half performance. We made it extremely difficult for Liverpool; we pressed hard, had excellent organisation, were physically strong, and had good possession.
“We demonstrated a solid balance of bravery and composure while also utilizing our physical presence on the top line. We gave a really powerful team a lot of problems.
“The problem, then, is to be able to do it for 90 minutes, or to discover ways to control the game and be who we want to be during those times.
“The second half was difficult, and Liverpool got into their groove, and the game got away from us.”
“However, the players should be proud of their efforts. They should be more confident in their ability to compete at this level, but they should also be aware of areas for improvement.”
McKenna, who has guided Ipswich to back-to-back Premier League promotions, said: “The fans were fantastic, and there were times in the first half when it was as brilliant as it has been since I’ve been here. There were several different factors.
“There wasn’t a significant tactical difference; Trent (Alexander-Arnold) played a little higher on the right. But our physical level dropped, which is understandable given the efforts of the first half and the fact that we are so early in the season, with many players playing their first Premier League game, and there is an adjustment to that intensity.
“Liverpool demonstrated their quality in the top line, as well as their ability to use the space behind them and pass the ball to the speedy runners.
“We had to learn how to manage the second half when Liverpool was in full flow and playing exceptionally well. They are a superb team that played considerably better in the second half.”
