LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Wednesday, December 22, 2021: Liverpool's James Milner's walks up to take his side's first penalty of the shoot-out during the Football League Cup Quarter-Final match between Liverpool FC and Leicester City FC at Anfield. Liverpool won 5-4 on penalties after a 3-3 draw. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

James Milner stands up to criticism with call for Liverpool to “regroup quickly”

James Milner was the sole player to address supporters on social media after Liverpool’s 1-0 loss to Leicester, urging his team-mates to “regroup quickly.”

It is easy to tell when a result has particularly hurt Jurgen Klopp‘s squad, as the post-match social media posts and messages to fans make way for radio silence.

That has been the case following defeat at the King Power, with little in the way of reaction beyond those obligatory interviews with broadcasters and LFCTV.

Virgil van Dijk spoke to both Amazon Prime and the club channel, explaining how Liverpool were “poor in the last third,” but vowing that “we will keep trying until the very end.”

Throughout the rest of the squad, Milner was the only player to give his thoughts on social media, with the vice-captain stressing the need to “regroup quickly” ahead of the trip to Chelsea on Sunday:

“Not the result or performance we wanted, or the travelling fans deserved,” Milner wrote.

“Need to regroup quickly for another big game Sunday.”

The midfielder’s assertion that those supporters who made the trip to Leicester three days after Christmas “deserved” a better result is worth noting.

While the Liverpool squad are right to avoid the social media apologies that flood the Man United squad feed after losses, there is a sense that the travelling Kop should be better acknowledged.

This is only magnified with Premier League games called off hours before kickoff throughout December, leaving many fans out of pocket and often having made their way across the country only to be left disappointed.