A fiery exchange between Jurgen Klopp and Fabinho underlined just how deep Liverpool's issues run right now in the wake of their 2-1 defeat against Leeds United on Saturday night.
A dramatic last-gasp strike from Cryscencio Summerville was enough to seal the points for Jesse Marsch's side, who had seen Rodrigo's fourth minute opener cancelled out by Mohamed Salah in the first-half.
For Marsch, who was under significant heading into the match, the result at Anfield brought some needed respite; but for Klopp, the problems are piling up - and the German's frustrations boiled over on the touchline as he took aim at Fabinho towards the end of the first-half.
The Brazilian midfielder has been badly off the pace this term, but he appeared to be nonplussed by Klopp's fury and simply shook his head. Unsurprisingly, that only angered the Liverpool boss further and he became even more vociferous towards the Reds ace.
Alarmingly, this is not the first time this season Klopp has unleashed a verbal volley at Fabinho: the Reds chief gave the former Monaco man an earful during the 3-3 draw with Brighton at the start of the month as the Seagulls tore through the Liverpool midfield.
While the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk have been heavily scrutinised amid an alarming drop-off in form, Fabinho's performances have slipped under the radar.
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The midfield enforcer was instrumental in Liverpool's remarkable season last year - in both defence and attack - but has struggled to replicate those performances this term in a side that has been plagued by their issues in the centre of the park.
Former Liverpool favourite Graeme Souness highlighted the issues in the Reds' faltering engine room after the match, where he insisted that Liverpool's midfielders were "bullied" by Leeds.
He told Sky Sports: "Leeds were a team playing under pressure. They didn’t play like a young team tonight, they played like a team that really believed in what they were going to do and believed they were going to get a result.
"You can it was a lucky first goal, but that's not the reason Liverpool lost the game; Liverpool were a country mile from where they were in the last few years: they don't play with the same intensity.
"I think, in many instances tonight, Leeds were more than a match for what Liverpool had been doing to teams for years. They basically bullied teams Liverpool, the midfield bullied teams. Now they’re being bullied in midfield, it’s making them vulnerable at the back and they’re not creating the same chances up front. Liverpool are a shadow."
