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Roy Keane has suggested that Liverpool's primary issue lies in its defensive setup, delivering this candid evaluation prior to the Reds' emphatic victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.
Arne Slot's squad had endured four consecutive defeats before Wednesday's encounter with Frankfurt, raising serious questions about the defending Premier League champions after their major summer overhaul, yet the Reds recovered from falling 1-0 behind to secure a commanding 5-1 triumph.
Former Leeds right-back Rasmus Kristiansen gave Frankfurt the lead in the opening period - however, Liverpool then mounted a rapid comeback, netting three goals before half-time to completely transform the match.
Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate all found the back of the net to establish a 3-1 advantage, before Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai struck in the second period to seal the victory for Slot and the Reds.
The result proved crucial following Liverpool's defeats to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray, Chelsea and Manchester United previously, managing just three goals whilst shipping seven during that spell.
Analyzing Liverpool's difficulties on the most recent edition of The Overlap - filmed before the Reds faced off against Frankfurt - Keane identified where their most glaring weakness has emerged this campaign.
Keane said: "I think Liverpool's biggest problem is defensively, going forward there is still a goal threat, they have got quality. But defensively..
"We said at the start of the season going back to the Community Shield, they were giving chances away but were still scoring.
"Now that has dried up they are still giving up loads of chances and loads of goals.
"That is the biggest issue - Arsenal are attacking and defending as a team, but Liverpool are disjointed."
Ian Wright delivered a more scathing verdict on Liverpool with a particularly harsh evaluation. The former Arsenal striker believes the players are struggling to grasp what Slot expects from them.
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"I don't think they understand what the manager wants them to do," Wright said.
"When you look at the way they are playing, they either win or they lose, it's feast or famine with them.
"There's no cohesion with them, none of the players are thriving with them, you look at Ekitike, he started the season well. You would have thought to leave him in there.
"I know Isak has come in, but the only player you can look at from Liverpool who is doing it is [Ekitike], and he has been left out the last couple of [Premier League] games.
"Full backs are not doing it at the moment for me. Midfield it's not happening..
"With [Mohamed] Salah, you've either got to create space for him or give him the ball where he can go and attack, but he's not getting either of those two things. Give him the ball where he has got time or get him to attack the space, none of that is happening.
"Trent [Alexander-Arnold] is a massive miss in that. The players don't seem quite convinced."
Liverpool returns to action when it travels to Brentford on Saturday. In that fixture, Slot will be desperate for his side to secure its first Premier League victory in four attempts.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.
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