Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson admitted he had blundered badly after his side crashed out of the Carling Cup to Northampton.
Hodgson named a completely different side to the one that started last weekend's defeat by Manchester United.
But the move backfired as the League Two side secured a famous win after a penalty shoot-out, the match having ended 2-2.
Hodgson said: "I can only apologise to the fans who expected to see us win.
"The fact is the players have to accept responsibility. I accept the responsibility for changing a lot of players in the team but I thought they were good enough to win the game but they weren't.
"We had been given a kind draw. When you play a team from three leagues below, then you expect to win. When you don't win you have to take criticism. We must all take responsibility.
"The Carling Cup is a cup we are capable of doing well in and we are playing against lower league opponents. So if it doesn't result in a victory it is a very negative thing. It's a setback for the club, one of several setbacks at the moment."
Billy McKay cancelled out Milan Jovanovic's ninth-minute opener for Liverpool to force the game into extra-time. And when Michael Jacobs scored, it took the visitors to the brink of a famous win. But David Ngog struck four minutes from the end to force a shoot-out. Ngog and Nathan Eccleston then missed their spot-kicks and Abdul Osman converted his as the Cobblers won 4-2 on penalties.
Northampton boss Ian Sampson said: "I was delighted with the way we played and how we passed the ball around. I'm over the moon; to play like that is fantastic.
"The way we played was great. Full credit to the players, they are a young team and they followed their instructions very well. This is up there as one of the highlights of my career."
