"I heard I'm too loyal but I am not too loyal," insisted Jurgen Klopp, in his pre-match press conference ahead of the successful FA Cup replay trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Liverpool manager was fielding questions in the wake of the Reds' abysmal weekend showing at Brighton that had resulted in not only a damaging 3-0 defeat but also arguably one of the worst Liverpool performances under his stewardship.
If getting spanked by the Seagulls wasn't bad enough, the distinct lack of energy by which the Reds had become one of the most feared sides in Europe had been alarming to put it mildly. Liverpool's midfield has been described as dysfunctional at best this season but against Brighton it looked like caravan towing was back in vogue.
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It wouldn't have taken too much adjustment in application to expect an improvement against Wolves on Tuesday evening, and so it proved with the Reds remembering the art of the press in the opening 45 minutes, helping secure a 1-0 lead that proved to be enough to progress to the next round.
Only Thiago survived from the midfield trio at Brighton, with Klopp instead putting his faith in Naby Keita and Stefan Bajcetic. The 18-year-old Spaniard of Serbian heritage was particularly impressive, defying his tender years to give supporters and his manager a decent glimpse of what could be around the corner.
What is most certainly on the horizon however, is a significant change of personnel in the Liverpool engine room. The current midfield has passed its peak and new faces are absolutely inevitable. Judging by Klopp's comments prior to Brighton match, those significant adjustments are not likely to happen this month. Unless someone leaves, the club is top heavy on players and has seemingly little appetite to prop up the wages of more footballers than is necessary.
Instead, the summer will mark the real evolution with at least two destined for the exit door already. There is no sign of a new contract for Naby Keita who looks like a player content to run down his current deal before moving on. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is another for whom an Anfield departure looks a certainty and surely it is the end of the road for James Milner who will be 38 at the end of next season.
One suspects that Klopp will be reluctant to let a trusted lieutenant like Milner leave the club and would probably wish to retain him in a coaching capacity of sorts, if not still as a back-up member of the squad, but if there is no room for new midfielders at the club right now, players will have to make way for the new batch at some point and that could mean curtains for arguably Liverpool's greatest free transfer signing off all time.
The departures of Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Milner are not likely to get you very long odds with the bookies, but Liverpool's starting midfield doesn't routinely contain any of that trio anyway, so to implement real change, much bigger and tougher calls have to be made.
Jude Bellingham might be considered the Reds' number one target and if he does fulfil the speculation by agreeing to a Merseyside move it would unquestionably be the signing of the summer. But someone is going to have to make way to accommodate his arrival, and if it's a real midfield overhaul we're talking about it won't just be one midfield mainstay who could face an uncertain future.
Unfortunately this season's statistics don't do much to cover any of Liverpool's regular midfield three in glory. In the Premier League, Thiago, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson don't have a single goal or assist between them. You could argue that isn't their core role in this side, with the majority of assists usually coming from the full-backs and the front three themselves, but whichever way you look at it, you can't get lower than zero.
Jordan Henderson's role has become gradually more fragmented. He has made 20 appearances for the Reds this season but has been substituted 10 times and came off the bench for another six of them. Like Milner, huge value will be placed on Henderson's experience and leadership qualities by Klopp, but while a Liverpool exit feels unlikely he looks like someone who could be performing the Milner role in the squad from next season, when he will be 33.
Up until this season, you would have been hard-pressed to find many Liverpool supporters suggesting that Fabinho should be a player shortlisted for the exit door, but the Brazilian has looked well short of his best in a sub-standard campaign, and if room needs to be made for new blood he represents something that none of Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain or Milner do - a resale transfer fee.
Under contract until 2026, should the Reds wish to recoup some of their summer outlay then at 29, Fabinho is one they could still get decent money for. A deal makes sense if a suitable replacement like Declan Rice or Sofyan Amrabat can be lined up to come in and become the new midfield anchor and with Bajcetic displaying promise as an understudy, now could be the time to get the wheels in motion.
Thiago Alcantara has arguably been Liverpool's best midfielder this season, but that is set against a pretty low bar by their own standards. The silky Spaniard makes controlling a football look like a doddle and his easy-on-the-eye style is appreciated beyond the loyal fanbase. A Rolls Royce of a footballer for sure.
But if the Reds are to refresh themselves as a feared pressing machine once more, is Thiago a luxury they can afford to accommodate? A ball-player who doesn't get many assists and has been injured or absent seven times in his relatively short Liverpool career feels like a nice-to-have rather than a key midfield starter. Under contract until 2024, it could be time to cut him lose.
A Thiago exit would feel like a bold move but similarly talented players have left many times before and if Jude Bellingham does join the ranks it would make sense for all parties.
Klopp's claims about loyalty will be put to the test this summer. He has already made it clear that he will not be leaving the club unless he is told to and that if that means something has to change and it is not him then it will have to be the team itself. We may soon get to see a ruthless side that up until now hasn't really been required but just like his length of service as a manager at any club, we are now moving into uncharted territory.
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