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Being the Premier League champion comes with its own set of challenges, and Liverpool's recent run of seven losses in its last 10 matches across all competitions isn't helping.
It seems like everyone has an opinion on the Reds' current situation, with pundits queuing up to critique head coach Arne Slot and his players. One player who's been under the microscope is Florian Wirtz, the summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen. Despite impressing in the Champions League, the German midfielder has struggled to replicate that form for Liverpool.
His performance, along with several others, was less than stellar in last Sunday's 3-0 defeat at Manchester City. This loss put a damper on the mood, especially after consecutive victories and clean sheets against Aston Villa and Real Madrid had boosted team morale.
Arsene Wenger, Arsenal's legendary former manager, even suggested that Wirtz's arrival had "destroyed" Liverpool's midfield - a key component of the team's triumphant title run last season.
Slot quickly dismissed Wenger's claim, and a playmaker from a different era believes the Reds' issues lie elsewhere on the pitch.
However, former England star Chris Waddle thinks it's time for Slot to build his team around Wirtz. "I said at the start of the season that I didn't fancy Liverpool for the league because they can't defend properly," said Waddle.
"They do concede, and it doesn't matter how good you are as a team - I think Liverpool do concede goals quite easily at times. So they didn't address that problem. They needed a center-half, they needed a right-back, too, really. They didn't address that.
"They spent their money on Florian Wirtz and two centre-forwards, who all cost a fortune. I think I can see why Arsene Wenger is saying that. The midfield was very strong last year. Energetic, capable of putting the foot in, box-to-box.
"They could make goals and score them. Obviously, Wirtz has come on the market, and he was sensational in Germany, and so they took a look at him. He was cruising in the Bundesliga, he ran most of the games, and he was electric.
"But the Premier League is a different set of demands. It’s more physical; it drains the legs. It’s more demanding.
"On Sunday, Wirtz was on the left, and I think they need to be braver. Wirtz has to play off a striker as he did at Leverkusen.
"That’s where he was so good. Either you build the side around him, or you conclude he’s not the right player to fit Liverpool’s approach, and it was a mistake to buy him. You need to ask if the Premier League is too quick or physical for him.
"I think their task for now is to work out how to get the best from him. But looking at his body language, he does not look confident at all.
"Of course, Wirtz has proved already that he’s quality, and we know he has ability, and now the job for Arne Slot is to get the system right to fit him in. But even if and when he does that, the main concern for the team is their defensive weaknesses."
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