Although Liverpool had lost 1–0 to Man City at home, their performance had still received widespread praise.
Lucas and Charlie Adam's double-pivot partnership had been named Best Player of the Match for two consecutive league games. That was also an affirmation of Dalglish's tactics, though the team's attack still showed no signs of improvement.
Liverpool Echo revealed that in the dressing room after the match, Dalglish had criticized the team's performance. He believed that in the final stages of the game, the players had failed to follow his instructions and had instead become rash and overconfident, leading to the conceded goal.
At the post-match press conference, Dalglish also said nothing about Su Dong's performance. Instead, he believed that Liverpool's only mistake throughout the match had been seized upon by their opponents, who had turned it into a goal. This should serve as a warning to the entire team.
"Through this match, I believe all of us should clearly realize that we have enough ability to freeze the strongest team in the Premier League. We're merely lacking a certain level of concentration, especially in the final stages of the match."
Dalglish stated that he believed Liverpool were on the right path and that the team's results would improve soon.
As for Dalglish's remarks, the outside media were divided.
Liverpool had indeed performed excellently throughout the match, barely giving Man City any attacking opportunities. The only genuine mistake had come in the dying stages, when the defense had pushed too high and left the two center-backs directly exposed to Su Dong.
But regarding the conceded goal, authoritative media outlets including The Times, The Guardian, and Sky Sports generally believed that it had been caused by Su Dong's individual ability. Liverpool's two center-backs had already done everything they could.
As The Guardian had