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Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been advised to change his side's formation to put an end to the poor run the Reds are currently experiencing, with more pragmatism potentially required.
So far this season, Liverpool has often looked weak in physical encounters, whether that is in open play or from set-pieces. With more winnable games coming up, Slot needs to ensure his team is capable of capitalizing.
"A lot of the players have to look in the mirror," Danny Murphy said on Match of the Day. "Out of last season's players, I'd say only [Dominik] Szoboszlai, [Ryan] Gravenberch, maybe [Andy] Robertson, when he's come in, have even got near to the levels of last season, and that's not good enough.
"OK, there are lots of different reasons and theories, but a lot of it's mentality, you know, because you've won something and maybe the comfort zone a little bit because physically they're not at it.
"And only one of their new four or five top signings, Hugo Ekitike, has done well. So the players have to take some responsibility.
"Now what can Arne Slot do? He's got to make some huge decisions, and that means leaving some big players out because back to basics is key.
"Defending better, working harder, being more physical, doing the hard yards — it sounds very basic stuff — but he's got to pick his most physical 11 who he thinks are going to defend the best for him and start getting some points on the board, because if you keep losing games, he won't be in a job."
Gary Neville is also in agreement about changing the formation and bringing in more physical players who can win their battles.
"The manager has to change the style or the system and help them," he said on his Sky Sports podcast. "It means being more solid in midfield and the back, and personnel changes.
"[Milos] Kerkez is struggling, [Ibrahima] Konate is struggling so do you have to put four center-backs in your back four and keep a narrow, tight back four and tell everyone you mean business to keep clean sheets and stop teams having chances on your goal.
"Then in midfield, you put a narrow four in there. That could be [Dominik] Szoboszlai, [Alexis] Mac Allister, [Ryan] Gravenberch and [Florian] Wirtz or [Cody] Gakpo tucked in a bit more narrow and you might leave [Mo] Salah off [Hugo] Ekitike or [Alexander] Isak or play Ekitike and Isak. Leave them up there, work as a two and do something a bit different.
"It feels a bit basic and I’m telling Arne Slot what to do but I’ve seen world-class managers drop their ego on how we are going to play, forget we’re a great side and a great club — you’re not as this moment, you’re easily beatable so have to do something different and pay teams respect and change.
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"I called on it a few weeks ago, I said maybe Joe Gomez should play right-back, Andy Robertson at left-back and play as a narrow back four. Be a bit more pragmatic.
"Something has to change in the collective in terms of how they are going to play. From an individual perspective, you have to strip it right back to the foundations, whether that's sleep, stretching, eating, the tiny details. Do everything better.
"Slot is a brilliant manager with real class, but he's got to reverse and do something different — maybe make some difficult decisions. He's going to come under pressure, let's not get too carried away with that. The players have to step up, or it will become a problem."
After taking on PSV in the Champions League midweek, Liverpool travels to West Ham. It then faces newly-promoted Sunderland and Leeds.
Liverpool.com says: Slot won't drastically change his formation but the lack of physicality is glaring at the moment. The bigger issue is that there are no obvious players to bring into the team who can solve that. Robertson, for instance, isn't the tallest. None of the Liverpool full-backs are.
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