Manager Brendan Rodgers made no excuses after Liverpool's 3-1 defeat at Southampton on Saturday all but extinguished their hopes of a late surge into the Premier League's top four.
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Last week's 3-2 win over third-placed Tottenham Hotspur had given rise to renewed optimism at Anfield but Liverpool were outplayed for long periods by a Southampton side easing away from the relegation battle.
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"We just weren't very good," Rodgers told reporters.
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"It was as simple as that. If you start games as we started it is very, very difficult at this level to get back.
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"We got it back to 2-1 but then conceded another very poor goal for the third goal. If you concede the goals we conceded today it is always difficult to win games.
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"We were offensively bright and created chances and could have scored more than one goal but we didn't defend well enough and you have to give credit to Southampton as well."
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Southampton were 2-0 up after little more than half an hour thanks to Morgan Schneiderlin and Rickie Lambert but Philippe Coutinho replied on the stroke of halftime with his second goal since joining Liverpool.
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Jay Rodriguez then sealed Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino's second league victory since taking over from Nigel Adkins in January - the other was also by a 3-1 margin against Manchester City.
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"I think we set out the game in a very positive way and more than anything the players believed in how we wanted to do it," Argentine Pochettino said.
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"We made Liverpool very uncomfortable, we pressed them a lot and put in a very big effort and that is the way we want to play, high up the field in their half."
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Liverpool remain in seventh spot, seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea who have played two games fewer.
They always look for an excuse whenever they lose a game. I personally think the coach is the problem