Alisson Becker admits Liverpool are missing the "personality" of their absent key players - but is at a loss to determine exactly why the Reds continue to start games so poorly.
Jurgen Klopp's side suffered another dismal Premier League defeat when they were thumped 3-0 at lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.
An early own goal from Joel Matip meant Liverpool have conceded more times during the first five minutes of Premier League games than any other team this season, with Craig Dawson netting a second for Wolves shortly afterwards.
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The Reds have now leaked the first goal in 16 of their last 24 top-flight games since the tail end of last season, having done so just eight times in the previous 36.
And Alisson accepts the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz are being missed for more than just their talent.
"Football is a mental game as well," said the goalkeeper. "You go out on to the pitch, you prepare your game, you prepare your way to play, and then the first thing you do is mistakes and concede? It doesn't help at all.
"We don't have to come here and point fingers. We have to come here and trust in ourselves and do our best. What we can do now is work hard daily to make sure things are better for us because we have quality.
"The same players who achieved great things in the last years... we are missing a few, that is a really big miss, but they are coming back hopefully in the next weeks. That will help the team with the confidence and the personality of these players.
"We have to be more smart. I don't know what we need to happen to us to start differently in games. We have already so many examples that have happened with us during the season of conceding early with mistakes from the team, not individual mistakes but from the team, and on Saturday it happened again.
"When things like that happen all the time it's so frustrating, but we have to fight against that frustration to bounce back."
Liverpool are next in action on Monday week at home to neighbours Everton, who are riding the crest of a wave after the appointment of new manager Sean Dyche helped them beat runaway Premier League leaders Arsenal at the weekend.
And while Alisson has called on strong backing from Anfield, he admits the players need to give the supporters something to get behind.
"We need really much the supporters, but I know the supporters they need as well to see that we are fighting on the pitch and trying to do the right things," he said to LFC TV.
"They have to see that. And when they see that, they will push you. Hopefully we can do that in the next game. We are going to work for that and look to have the right strategy and fight a lot to get the three points and change our situation."
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