Merino says summer signings Cristhian Mosquera, Noni Madueke and Ebere Eze can all be happy with their performances on the day.
He said: “We’re very disappointed today. Obviously we wanted to win the three points here in a very tough stadium against a really good opponent. I think the team showed courage and character throughout the game, but in a set piece, in a magic moment, they scored and they got the three points.
“I think there are lots of positives from today as well to look into the future. We know this league is a long one, so it's not going to be decided in the first five fixtures, so we’re looking forward.
“Today we saw some new guys coming on the pitch under difficult circumstances, for example, Mosquera after the injury. They managed to come in these circumstances and do it as well as they could have done.
“The whole team performed in a really good way, in a difficult stadium, with a lot of character. So disappointed for the loss, but lots of positives.”
Merino added, “We're going to look back and see how dominant we were on a difficult pitch, how proud we have to be today, even though we lost. We have finished the first two or three games in good shape. I see the team going forward in the best way possible.