A particularly frustrated Jack Stephens spoke of the abundance of chances missed in the aftermath of a rather disappointing defeat at Anfield on Saturday evening, as Saints were edged out by Liverpool.
The scoreline wasn't necessarily a direct reflection of how the action unfolded, with Ralph Hasenhüttl's side more than matching their Merseyside counterparts for the majority of the tie, without being able to find the same clinical edge that ultimately handed Liverpool the points.
Stephens, deputising at left-back in the absence of the injured Ryan Bertrand, was critical of the two goals Saints gave away, having competed so well throughout, and too Saints' work in front of goal after creating enough chances to warrant a more favourable scoreline.
"A lot of frustration," the defender reflected. "Played really well; some good football and good chances. We haven't put those chances away and we've conceded two really poor goals.
jack stephens
I'm just disappointed because we've shown we can compete.
southampton fc defender
"I'm just disappointed because we've shown we can compete against teams like Liverpool. For us to take that next step, to go to the next level, you can't just come here and put up a good performance and lose 2-0.
"We need to learn from that. Take that forward for next year. We need to be a bit more ruthless when we get chances and be more clinical in front of goal. The two goals we gave away tonight were also really poor.
"They punish you when they get half a chance; that's what happens when you come to places like this. It's difficult at the moment, because it's still quite raw. We need to improve."
Speaking about the role he played personally this evening, he added: "I feel like I can do a job in most positions. I always give 100% wherever I play, even if that's at left-back. I'll always put in 100%."
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