‘No excuses, be better’: James Milner lays it on the line for limp Liverpool

I t was around 10pm on Saturday that James Milner emerged from the away dressing room at Selhurst Park and spoke to the journalists gathered underneath the Holmesdale Road Stand. His words were as cold as the south London air. “We have to be better, simple as that,” said the 37-year-old. “We take responsibility, there is no excuses about it.”

Trust Milner to front up, but really what else could he say after Liverpool’s goalless draw with Crystal Palace, a game in which Jürgen Klopp’s men once again delivered a display bereft of confidence, cohesion, intensity or intent. It was a recovery of sorts following the midweek humbling by Real Madrid but not by much, and from Liverpool’s most experienced player came the clear message that the team has to stop feeling sorry for themselves if they are to glean anything from a season that promised so much but continues to be incredibly trying.

“With where we are at the moment, with things not going our way, it’s probably hitting us harder than it should and that’s something we can deal with better,” said Milner. “On the field we have to be better. If the pass doesn’t come off, don’t shy away from it next time. Go again. Or if you hit the woodwork, don’t get too disappointed.

“Everything feels a lot more difficult when things aren’t going your way. That’s human nature and how the brain works when you’re in a tough run and a tough season. But we have to rally, stick together and keep working hard.”

There was the required effort and commitment to the cause among Liverpool’s players to secure a third Premier League clean sheet in a row, something Klopp and Milner both picked out as a positive in light of the team’s recent defensive displays, but it was hardly the most emphatic of