Sheffield United defender Jack O'Connell has admitted the Blades had an evening to forget at Anfield against Liverpool on Thursday night.
Chris Wilder's men gave Liverpool a tough contest in the earlier meeting between the two teams in the Premier League this season, but the story was different at Anfield.
Liverpool eased to a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, enjoying 75 per cent possession and registering 19 shots at goal compared to Sheffield United's three.
O'Connell completed the full 90 minutes and makes no bones about the fact the evening was a tough one for Sheffield United.
He feels Sheffield United showed Liverpool too much respect and is now keen for his side to focus on bouncing back.
"It was bad", O'Connell was quoted as saying by the BBC.
"It was a tough game. I don't think we turned up. We weren't physical and showed them too much respect. It was very disappointing.
"Obviously they are a very good team. They are European champions and are there for a reason but we showed them too much respect.
"It's the basics of football. They did it better than us, along with their quality.
"It's still a bit raw because we have had two defeats now. We just have to bounce back."
Sheffield United sit eighth in the Premier League table with 29 points from their 21 games and are in FA Cup action at the weekend, at home against National League outfit AFC Fylde.
