Analysis: Fight and quality despite defeat

[Reuters] Gary O'Neil was fully aware of the difficulty of the task at hand before kick-off as he reeled off Liverpool's array of attacking talent. The Ipswich manager will be disappointed with how easily his side conceded the opening goal, with Kjell Scherpen beaten too easily at his near post. But there were plenty of positives for O'Neil to take from his side's performance against top Premier League opposition for the second weekend running. There were encouraging flashes from Ipswich's attackers, particularly Julio Enciso and Jack Clarke after he came off the bench in the second half. But it was not enough for Ipswich to earn their first Premier League victory in 28 matches when trailing by two goals or more at half-time. It goes without saying that their Premier League fate will not be decided by defeats against Manchester United and Liverpool in the space of five days. O'Neil's side have plenty of fight and quality, and look well-equipped for the survival battle this time around.