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Former Liverpool left-back Stephen Warnock has backed Arne Slot to find his way out of the current tough run of form the club is experiencing, believing the players need to step up and help him out.
Virgil van Dijk said something similar after the 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend, with various pundits including Gary Neville having since backed Slot, who won the Premier League title only a few months ago. And Warnock is of a similar mindset, even if results do need to improve.
"To be honest, I thought the first half an hour at the weekend was good," Warnock told Liverpool.com. "They created loads of opportunities and then it got to a point where they lost belief in the ideas.
"Nottingham Forest scored and then they went chasing the game. Last year, it felt like when they went behind that they would get back into it, and there was a calmness, but they have lost that at the moment.
"Everyone is wondering who the player who is going to do something will be. There is a lot of blame within the team and it doesn't seem to be a team at the moment — that is my biggest concern."
Even though Slot has so far been unable to address the slide, winnable matches against PSV and West Ham United are coming up this week. Back-to-back victories would restore some confidence.
"Slot is trying to find a fix — and he went back to what worked last season against Aston Villa and Real Madrid — but in the Man City game, it disappeared again," Warnock said.
"I just think Liverpool have lost a bit of hunger and bit of fight. They get outfought in games, which is a big concern, because how do you get outfought when you have players of the stature that Liverpool have got?
"That comes from within and the players have to find that fight and hunger again.
"There is still a hangover from what happened in the summer and people will look at it and think 'there are bigger things in life'. It is hard to find that drive again because they are still grieving."
After this week and before Christmas, Liverpool will face Sunderland, Leeds United, Brighton and Spurs. And as poor as it has been of late, the Reds remain only two points off the Champions League places.
"I still think Slot is the right guy and he will find a way," Warnock, speaking on behalf of WhichBookie, continued. "People say it was Jurgen Klopp's team, but he changed things completely — the style of play, Liverpool weren't gung-ho, they were more pragmatic.
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"I remember the game with Fulham last year when Andy Robertson got sent off; I was commentating. He changed the system four or five times and I remember thinking the way he thinks about the game and is trying to find different things, it was brilliant.
"There was enough just in that game to say he was tactically astute and clever. At the moment, the players just aren't performing to the level that they can perform at.
"I still think he is the right man for the job, I really do. However, if he continues this run of form and they don't win games... what happens if they lose their next five?
"It could definitely happen with the way Liverpool are playing. Then it becomes a big decision for the ownership group, but I think he will turn it around."
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