Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has admitted that his side “haven’t been good enough” in recent matches after a 1-0 loss at Southampton.
Jurgen Klopp’s side went into the game off the back of a disappointing 1-1 home draw against struggling West Brom and a scoreless draw away to Newcastle.
They made a sluggish start at St Mary’s, where they found themselves a goal behind after two minutes. Although they enjoyed more than two-thirds of the ball thereafter, they were unable to get back on terms.
“We’re frustrated, disappointed, it’s how you deal with it that counts,” Henderson told Sky Sports after the game. “We need to react quickly. The last few games haven’t been good enough.
“The start didn’t help. Starting slow in games isn’t us. You’re seeing that too many times at the moment.
“The second half performance was very good but we’ve not scored again. We’ve had some good chances but not put the ball in the back of the net. We probably deserved the equaliser second half.”
Henderson, meanwhile, performed admirably thrust into an unfamiliar role in the heart of the defence.
“It’s difficult, it’s a different position. I just try to do my best for the team,” he said when asked to comment on how he coped.
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Meanwhile, ex-Reds forward Danny Ings was the matchwinner with a spectacular finish from a James Ward-Prowse free kick.
“We all know how good he is over set pieces,” he said of the move, which saw the midfielder clip the ball over the wall for the striker to loft into the goal. “Luckily all the parts came together and we got the goal.
“All I can do is loop my shot. Theo Walcott jumped with Trent Alexander-Arnold, which put him off, and everyone played their part in that goal.
“It’s really special. When the champions come here, you know it’s going to be tough. They have a lot of possession and it’s so important for us to be disciplined. To get a result is huge.”
Southampton have lifted themselves to sixth in the league thanks to the result, which puts them just four points behind Liverpool.
“It’s great to be in this position. We’re not going to sit on that. We’re going to keep trying to progress,” he concluded.
Danny Ings 
Jordan Henderson 
Liverpool 
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