Arne Slot admitted that he was forced to give his Liverpool players a strict story during the break when the Premier League leaders staggered against Rock-Bottom Southampton for a fantastic second half.
Darwin Nunez started the comeback after Will Smallbone's first half strike for Saints, before Mohamed Salah scored two penalties to bring his count to 32 for the season.
Liverpool looked finished after their exercises in beating Paris Saint-Germain in midweek and concluded that he was less than satisfied in the first 45 minutes, insisting that he had no choice other than to make three half-time substitutions.
“I did not compliment them during the break, I can tell you,” said Slot, who watched the stands in the last game of his touchline ban.
'Maybe I can tell you it was because I was sitting there instead of the line. If you watch a game from there, you always have the feeling that “ah, even I can play in this game”, but if you are on the line, there is more pace.
'I don't think I was wrong if I said during the break that the energy levels were a lot, much, much too low. That had to change and that is why we made three replacements, apart from energy to bring quality.
'Nine out of 10 times, if you take three, the other eight would happen if something else would happen. That was the only thing I could think of to make something else for the second half. '
It worked and Liverpool finished 16 points free on the day of Arsenal, who travel to Manchester United on Sunday/Sunday.
The Reds are now only in competition campaign on 2 April, but will be confronted on Tuesday with Paris Saint-Germain on Anfield for the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle next Sunday.
Slot described this game as the first of three 'finals' in a week and he added:' The next two finals, I really hope we play better than the first.
“If I look at the match against PSG, we have to go up a step up in terms of intensity and compared to the game today, we have to go up five, six, seven steps in terms of intensity if we want to have the chance to reach the next round.”
'Something had to change during the break. That is why I took out a few players, introduced players who brought a lot of energy for us. If you have energy and our quality, this can lead to goals. '
Liverpool will have to go back to shooting for 90 minutes when they organize PSG in their Champions League for 16 second stage next week, defend the benefit of Miracle 1-0 that they have picked up in the French capital.
Slot was asked if he thought the slow start of his players was up to play with an eye for Tuesday's visit – but the Dutchman said he wasn't sure.
“I will never know because I can't look in the head of my players,” he added. 'But I thought our game in Paris should have been a good warning for us that we should reach a level to be ready for Paris Saint-Germain (in the second stage).
'Perhaps the only thing that will be fine will come that so slow in the first half that they can never tell me that they were tired after the first half.
'Maybe they saved their legs, what is needed because the intensity of Paris Saint-Germain is crazy. We not only have to go up one step up, not two, but maybe three or four for Tuesday. '
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