Few could have imagined such a slow start from Liverpool to the current Premier League campaign.
Jurgen Klopp's side have been unable to hit their usual heights after picking up just ten points after eight matches played, which has left many supporters concerned as to whether or not the team can bring about a change in fortunes between now and May.
Pinpointing exactly what is going wrong at Anfield is no easy task, with a multitude of factors potentially playing a part in the the team's slide down the table. The summer exit of Sadio Mane, injuries to key players and lack of transfer business have always been listed as possible explanations to the drop-off in form, while others have questioned usual high performers such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk.
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Liverpool came agonisingly close to completing an unprecedented quadruple last term, falling short at the final hurdle in the top flight and in the Champions League after winning the League Cup and FA Cup. Speaking to Sky Sports during pre-season about the reaction he expected from his players on the back of such a gruelling campaign, Reds boss Klopp made clear: "The same determination, definitely.
"In sport, people say, 'you've won this and won that', but you want to win it again, again and again. That's how it is. You don't have to tell anybody, 'don't forget, we want to win this competition'. Without luck, you have a real problem and that's actually what we had two years ago, bad luck [with injuries]."
Liverpool have also been heavily criticised of late for standing still regarding transfer business, enabling other clubs to bridge a gap in quality that has been evident in recent years. Klopp, though, acknowledged how the Reds required 'fresh blood' to continue their development as a club.
Calvin Ramsay, Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho and Arthur Melo (loan) were the four players recruited by the club this summer, with the latter arriving as part of a deadline day swoop in response to mounting injury concerns in this area of the pitch. A squad rebuild is looking like a natural next step at the end of the season, with Klopp already admitting it is 'not possible' to continue without squad investment.
"How can you keep going? How can you improve a world-class football team? By training, we do believe in that a lot, but as well by bringing new players in because you need fresh blood, a new dynamic and fresh desire to create a team full of excitement and determination for the things coming. Sometimes you do it exactly like you want and sometimes you have to react to a situation, like Sadio telling us he wants to move on," Klopp explained in July.
"We know how good Sadio is and we will realise this in moments, because they were just Sadio moments when nobody else can do it like him. We cannot just do the same thing year in, year out - that's just not possible. We have a basis and we have to build on this. That means we have to be more unpredictable for teams, and that's by bringing in other players because they have a different skillset.
"The basis is there but the opponents didn't sleep - they improved as well and we know that and don't expect because we were close last year, that we will just win it next year. It's not like this. We just have to make sure we are ready in each game to fight with all we have for the three points. If we do that, then we could be successful."
After a horrible 4-1 defeat at Napoli, Liverpool have, however, won their last three Champions League matches, with Tuesday's stunning 7-1 success at Rangers putting them within touching distance of qualification to the knockout stages.
But the Reds will face a bigger test on Sunday when they welcome Manchester City - the team that pipped them to the Premier League title season - to Anfield.
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