Two early mistakes at Portman Road proved decisive as Liverpool moved 2-0 up inside the opening ten minutes, and although Ipswich Town responded well, they could not find a way back into the game. Gary O'Neil was proud of how his players reacted despite the damage already done.
"I thought we were excellent. Two mistakes in the first 10 minutes made it very difficult, but I think we were probably the better side for large parts after that. More shots and some really good chances," O'Neil told Sky Sports.
"Obviously the mistakes were big; we were punished heavily by world-class players, but then an excellent response, and we gave it our best, which the fans appreciated, as you could see from their reaction at the end.
"But we are here for points, so next week we have to make sure we take some."
O'Neil, whose side had lost their previous outing to Manchester United, said there were no tactical issues to address regardless of the scoreline.
"There were no issues out there for us tactically. Similar to Manchester United, but at Manchester United we lost our way and moved away from the game plan — today the lads were able to get straight back down to business," he said. "Second half especially, I thought we were excellent with the ball and cut through them many times. We didn't quite find that moment of quality to get us back in it, but of course this is one of the most extreme tests, and we came up a little short in terms of points. In terms of what I asked of the players, I thought they were very, very good."
For Iraola, the result carried obvious relief after a winless start to the campaign.
"It's nice, definitely, to get the first win. We needed that one with the way it has been. We got a clean sheet, controlling the game quite well," he said. "I think that we started the game really strong, and then it was another kind of second half — probably wasn't as good as the first one."
The Liverpool head coach also praised the balance of his midfield selection.
"I think Mac Allister is a smart player. He understands very well the positioning. He played very well today," Iraola said.
"I was a little bit worried with the yellow card; he was playing well, and I thought maybe I change him, but I also think that how we finished with Trey and Gravenberch, they did well. I think we have good options. It depends on the opposition; it depends on the legs."