Unable to find any form of consistency, Liverpool's stop-start season hit another roadblock last Saturday after being held at home to Wolves in the FA Cup.
The Reds will next week travel to Molineux for a third round replay, but first will face Brighton at the Amex Stadium in the Premier League. Matches will continue to come thick and fast from now until the of the season, with Jurgen Klopp's side needing to step up to save their season from fizzling out.
Discussing the latest talking points regarding the Reds, four Liverpool supporters have shared their views as part of a regular ECHO fan column.
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Rhys Buchanan (city centre, @Rhys_Buchanan) - Gakpo has made case for starting spot at Brighton
The Wolves cup tie should have been put to bed when Mohamed Salah took the initiative with an exquisite finish to make it 2-1 and, in any other recent season, we'd have done just that. The problem is, at this moment in time, Liverpool are a team who don’t know how to see out a game, instead looking panicky and chaotic on the ball.
Barring a few clinical moments in front of goal, I thought Gakpo was the only shining light during that disheartening evening at Anfield. He looked bright enough to make a case for starting against Brighton come Saturday, which could open up a few interesting options elsewhere on the pitch.
Given our clear lack of confidence in the middle of the park, I’d like to see a buoyant and bright Oxlade-Chamberlain back in the midfield to hopefully bring a bit of composure back to the ranks. Klopp has said recently that confidence is a delicate flower; a result away this weekend can most certainly be the sunlight this team craves.
Andrew Cullen (Widnes, (@brothersred5) - 4-4-2 diamond could be the answer to our problems
Last Saturday, Wolves exposed our weaknesses and nearly won. Teams have sussed us out and we no longer have the power, drive and control to win consistently. The surgery required in midfield is well-documented but what do we do in the interim before new personnel arrive?
Jurgen knows best, but it looks as though our style of play exposes our frailties rather than maximising our strengths. If this is a safe space for spitballing short term solutions, one might say: play a 4-4-2 midfield diamond with Salah and Nunez down the middle and Trent at right midfield; shift the fading ‘Lighthouse’ Fabinho to right-back - a position he previously played for Monaco - or play Gomez there, bring young Bajcetic in to add some bite and prioritise a first-half clean sheet by not overcommitting.
David Shams (Washington D.C., @ShamsWriter) - Getting back to basics is a must
Lots of questions remain. Another bleak performance has taken the atmosphere from mere hand-wringing to something closer to funereal. We’re not dead, yet, though. There’s still plenty of fight left.
Several things have to go right to keep the squad from the sorts of disarray rival fans would relish. It’s hard, however, to figure out where to begin. Signing one, or several, midfielders will certainly help. No doubt there. But do we throw them right in?
Another problem seems to be that the Reds are consistently inconsistent, never facing the same issue twice in a row. But maybe all this requires a sort of getting back to basics with a tactical adjustment necessitated by injuries, form, and attempts to get new or younger players up to speed. That may mean forgetting about the high line and playing a less complicated high press, which no one seems to be following anyway. It may even give the Reds space in behind to create more chances, like we saw for the first goal last weekend.
Even if they don’t answer all the questions, fans will be looking for a signal of intent from Jurgen and the lads on Saturday. Give us a lifeline.
James Noble (Worcestershire, @james_noble98) - Carvalho chance could be coming
A replay, it was widely felt, wasn’t a desirable outcome on Saturday for those of a Liverpool persuasion. We were perhaps fortunate to get one, given how Wolves’ late goal was disallowed. Even so, a replay is what we have. And it could, arguably, prove beneficial.
Another game, at short notice, between two big Premier League outings against Brighton and Chelsea might not appear all that helpful – and understandably so. Current injury and performance issues mean another full week on the training ground may have been more welcome.
It does, though, potentially represent another chance to learn something; another opening for players to get minutes. Naby Keïta, Stefan Bajčetić, Ben Doak and Fábio Carvalho – who has remained on the bench since his goalscoring stint in last month’s Carabao Cup defeat at Manchester City – could be among those to benefit.
As we try and plot a path towards more consistency, another opportunity to try a few things and gain some additional rhythm might not be the worst scenario in the world. The three-game week that has now materialised from January 14 -21 may look additionally challenging, but it could prove a productive one for the Reds’ season.
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