Andy Robertson admitted Liverpool's players weren't at their best during the Champions League win over Girona on Tuesday night.
The Reds emerged as narrow victors in Catalonia courtesy of Mohamed Salah's second-half penalty, which was controversially awarded following a challenge by Donny van de Beek on Luis Diaz.
Liverpool exerted more control on the game in the second half than it did in the first when the team had to rely on Alisson on several occasions to keep the game goalless.
Robertson said that the team's unusual openness at the back was not good enough as he told club media: "I think we had to be a wee bit more in control, sometimes in the first half especially it was a bit of a basketball match – back and forward – and that’s what they wanted. We left ourselves too open and gave our goalkeeper too much to do, which isn’t like us.
"Our pressing and things like that were maybe a wee bit off, but then when we were on the ball we had a bit of control, we created chances and we could have scored a couple. We got a clean sheet, we won the game. We can play a lot better than we did, but three points is crucial, especially away from home in the Champions League."
Liverpool was the only team to still have a 100 percent record in the Champions League after four games, and that record remains intact after six matches. Not all of those victories have been spectacular, but Robertson claimed that style is not as important as, simply, winning.
"Six wins out of six – you can’t ask for much better than that," he said. "It’s not easy to do or there would be more teams doing it. Our performances have been good, we’ve won games. But we’ve played a lot better than tonight, that’s for sure, we weren’t at our highest level tonight. But at this point it’s about winning the games and securing qualification, and I think we’ve done that."
On being named the man of the match against Girona, Robertson said: "I’ve had one before, I think a couple of years ago! Delighted to get it. Obviously, it’s about the team, but it’s always nice to get that recognition."