Robertson calls on Liverpool to sort out slow starts after Manchester United defeat

Liverpool must stop making life difficult for themselves by conceding early goals, defender Andy Robertson said after they were beaten 2-1 by rivals Manchester United in a Premier League clash on Monday.

United’s Jadon Sancho opened the scoring in the 16th minute, before Marcus Rashford doubled the hosts’ advantage with a second-half strike.

Liverpool pulled a goal back through Mohamed Salah, but United held on to secure the win and leave Juergen Klopp’s side without a victory from their three opening games and with just two points.

Liverpool have conceded first in all their league games this season and Robertson said another shaky start at Old Trafford swung the tide in their opponents’ favour.

“We give every team a goal start which is the basis of the game, you can’t keep on giving yourself an uphill battle,” Robertson told Sky Sports.

Slow start

“We’ve conceded an early goal again, we’ve started slow again and that’s what needs to change. We can’t keep going one behind.

“Probably in the warm-up it was the quietest I have ever heard this stadium - they wanted something to lift them and we unfortunately gave them it and then they obviously got behind their team.” The Scot added that Liverpool’s habit of starting slowly was a long-running issue, pointing to a string of results from the end of the previous season.

“Even when you go back to the end of last season, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Real Madrid, Southampton, teams like that, that was the back end of last season and it had already kicked in,” Robertson said.

“So it needs to change. Like I said, in this league against good teams, you can’t keep giving them a goal start and just now unfortunately that’s what we’re doing.” Liverpool, who are 16th in the league, host 15th-placed Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.