If the points tally for Liverpool's return to Premier League action paints a flawless picture, a little has been lacking from the aesthetics.
Victories over Aston Villa and Leicester in recent days have whittled what was a seven-point deficit to the top four down to just two and conventional wisdom suggests now is not the time to grumble about the performances that are churning out the results.
Gathering momentum during the post-Christmas period is vital for the Reds, so back-to-back wins in hard-fought contests will have been an ideal scenario for when Jurgen Klopp surveyed the landscape earlier this month.
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Yet, as the manager admitted himself in his post-match media dealings after Friday's 2-1 win at Anfield, the performance was not quite there. “The result is very pleasing obviously, but we all saw the game and it wasn’t our best performance and we know that," Klopp said after the match.
It was hard to disagree after Liverpool eked out the points against Brendan Rodgers's side largely due to two of the most comical own goals you'll see this campaign from the beleaguered Wout Faes. Control was worryingly ceded far too often as Leicester's midfield looked generally more assured and powerful.
Make no mistake, Liverpool will need to improve on Friday's output if they are serious about nudging ahead of Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea to that fourth spot in the Premier League. At this stage, that remains the bare minimum for Klopp and his squad to achieve.
A year out of European football's most grandiose competition will have lasting financial ramifications at Anfield, particularly at a time when the owners, Fenway Sports Group, are trying to make the Reds look as attractive a proposition as possible to potential investors or outright buyers.
But, on the flip side, winning when not at your thrilling best is often the mark of a top side at the sharp end of the Premier League. Does a heavyweight 'get away with one' when below their optimal level? Or is it indicative of their excellence that they can still emerge with the points when underperforming? The answer to that, like a lot of things around the discussion of football, is all about perception. Only results are inarguable, the rest is debated ad infinitum.
"It was a fantastic win!" Virgil van Dijk joked after the game, acknowledging that it was far from a vintage Reds display against the Foxes. "No, obviously it was a tough one, a tough one, but in this phase where the games are coming every three days, on top of the injuries we have, with Fabinho absent tonight too, we got the result.
"Things will have to improve but I think we played very well against Aston Villa, particularly in the first half. We were trying to build on it but tonight was tough. But we won."
Like the 3-1 victory against Villa on Boxing Day, there were at least some elements to admire. Thiago Alcantara was outstanding in midfield and Darwin Nunez's lively and encouraging cameo saw him combine a handful of times with Mohamed Salah, even if neither brought their shooting boots with them to Anfield on the night.
The need for another experienced operator in the centre of the park was evident as early as the fifth minute, however, when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall waltzed through what looked a tired-looking midfield before calmly slotting past Alisson Becker.
On a night when Fabinho was away expecting the birth of his first child, it didn't take long for the Brazilian's absence to be keenly felt. Klopp insisted on Friday that the club were still assessing potential options, but after the sum of the summer's efforts was a last-gasp loan move for Arhur Melo - a player who has played just 13 minutes for the Reds since joining in August - a repeat of sorts would be negligent. Leaving the squad as it is, even allowing for the mid-season arrival of Cody Gakpo, would likely be one gamble too many for a club who are so dependent on the Champions League teat.
"We want to improve on those opening months of the season and we want to play better," says Joel Matip. "Everybody understands the results have not been what we want them to be. We also speak the truth to each other and sometimes it gets a little bit louder but this is how it should be.
"We are working hard but we want to improve, we want to get better and we want to get higher in the table. These are our own expectations and of course we want to do this fast for our supporters and for the club. If a team starts struggling the voices outside always get louder but I have all the trust in my team-mates and in the club that we are still strong inside and that we are capable of beating anyone.
"I'm not in doubt about the quality of our team. To people outside it might be big, but to be honest, I don't care too much about these things. I trust in my team-mates and believe in them so I think we are going back towards where we belong."
Next up in the mini post-Christmas schedule is a tricky-looking trip to a buoyant Brentford. The Bees followed up Boxing Day's draw with Spurs by beating West Ham at the London Stadium on Friday night.
Thomas Frank's side gave Liverpool one of their toughest examinations last term in west London, but are likely to be without Ivan Toney, whose knee injury picked up against the Hammers looks to be a serious one.
"I think against Aston Villa we had good control if I am honest," Van Dijk adds of the last two matches. "Maybe in the second half for the first 15 minutes we lost it and that is something we have to improve on but I can say all these things but we will discuss this tomorrow and we will have to improve. We did get the one though and that is very important.
"Hopefully [we can keep it going], it's difficult to say that but we have won tonight and like I say we've had four wins in a row. We want to keep winning but we also have to improve our game and we know that we can, especially after tonight. It is going to be a very tough one in London, waiting for us.
"Obviously last year [at Brentford] was tough and I saw tonight they won away at West Ham too. They will be full of confidence and we have to be confident as well with our team and the players we have. We can hurt them in different ways but we have to be prepared."
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