After a shaky start to the season, Liverpool‘s 9-0 hammering of Bournemouth was meant to be a turning point.
The moment when the Reds finally got their season going, put their troubles behind them and used that showing as the benchmark for future performances.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side looked fearsome again, like the Liverpool of old, the devastatingly ruthless Red Arrows zooming forwards, cutting opposition defences to shreds and their seemingly tireless press suffocating rivals.
Liverpool’s shaky start to the season continued with a 4-1 defeat to Napoli on Tuesday night
But as more time passes, that record-equalling result looks less like the rule and more like the exception, an anomaly in a sea of mediocrity.
In truth, results could have been even worse were it not for several moments of good fortune – and the Napoli result on Tuesday, a 4-1 defeat in Italy that could conceivably have been 7-1, is the straw that could break the camel’s back.
There is a recognition things have to change, with Klopp admitting the team need to ‘reinvent themselves’. So how can they do that? And why is it necessary?
Below, Sportsmail takes a look at how the German can turn things around…
What’s gone wrong?
This summer Klopp was potentially one of the least likely managers in the world to get the sack after last year’s fierce, but ultimately failed, charge for a historic and unprecedented quadruple.
First, he is still not close to being fired. But even the fact he was asked if he feared for his job after Chelsea axed Thomas Tuchel shows how quickly things have fallen apart.
There’s no question of Liverpool being unlucky so far this season – even Klopp himself admits things need to improve.
The opening day draw against newly-promoted Fulham might easily have been a loss – Neeskens Kebano hit the post and there was a fortunate bounce before Mohamed Salah’s late equaliser.
A 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace saw Liverpool dominate the ball and take plenty of shots despite Darwin Nunez’ brainless red card just before the hour, but the Eagles could and perhaps should have won it with a glorious late chance for Wilfried Zaha.
The defeat to a Manchester United side, with confidence at rock-bottom, raised alarm bells
Those draws papered over the cracks. Then a 2-1 loss against a Manchester United side with confidence at rock-bottom, who had lost 4-0 against Brentford in their last game, raised alarm bells.
There are some qualifiers for Liverpool: it’s…