O’Neill said: “‘I thought they were absolutely splendid.
“We didn’t play well and that doesn’t help of course, but they were absolutely splendid. They knocked it about terrifically and their form at Anfield is absolutely magnificent.
“We could have helped ourselves a bit and we tried to in the second half. We got back into the game 3-1, but in the 90 minutes it was a lesson for us.
“We are aspiring to where Liverpool are, but that will take some time.”
