Andy Robertson has revealed that Jordan Henderson and James Milner pulled the squad together following the disappointing defeat against Napoli on Sunday evening – with what was said ‘unrepeatable until after 9pm’.
The Reds performed well under par against Napoli. Having beaten the Italians 5-0 last summer in pre-season, this time it was Carlo Ancelotti’s team who were heavy victors.
Via the Daily Mail, Robertson admitted: “It wasn’t good enough. We were miles off it. We were outplayed. At times we looked foolish by not pressing as a team.
“And we need to look at it and improve as our season starts in a week and it doesn’t get any harder than Man City. We need to be a hell of a lot better than this.
“Jordan Henderson and James Milner pulled us in for a huddle on the pitch and what was said cannot be repeated until after 9pm. It’s not crisis meetings, it’s pre-season. We need to step up massively.”
While it was a concern to watch a performance so bereft of the quality and intensity that the Reds are famous for, it must be remembered that it was pre-season.
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The players are training incredibly hard at the moment, and may have even done so on the morning of the match, so tired legs and lethargy can be forgiven.
The real test of where the squad are at will come next weekend against Manchester City, and then in the first few Premier League fixtures. If the Reds are to win the league this season, a strong start will be necessary with another high-90s points total the target.