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Liverpool's defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup will "heap more pressure on Arne Slot," according to Stephen Warnock, with the Reds now losing six of their last seven matches.
The dismal run of form has seen the Merseyside club drop from the summit of the Premier League to seventh place, while its aspirations of securing the season's first trophy have been extinguished by Palace. The Eagles have now beaten Liverpool twice within five weeks.
Slot received widespread praise for guiding the Reds to the title during his debut campaign, but both he and the squad have struggled to maintain that momentum, despite spending around $600 million during the summer transfer window.
The Dutch manager selected a heavily rotated side when the Eagles visited Anfield, but fielding a youthful team without several of his key players available on the bench ultimately proved costly and allowed the worrying sequence of results to persist.
Speaking on the BBC, Warnock said: "I think it heaps more pressure on Arne Slot. There are going to be so many more questions asked of Slot.
"Confidence is huge in football - when you see the way Liverpool players are playing at the moment, they are second-guessing everything they do at the moment. They're questioning every decision they make on the football pitch and almost playing negatively."
Before Wednesday's match, Liverpool hadn't experienced five consecutive defeats in domestic competitions since 1953. The team's only recent respite from this losing streak came in the Champions League with a victory against Frankfurt.
The former Liverpool player has suggested there's a shortage of quality beyond the first-choice eleven, particularly in specific positions.
While the Reds boast considerable depth in attacking areas, concerns have been raised regarding the midfield and defensive options.
He said: "When we looked at the Liverpool squad at the start of the season, we felt that their starting 11 was better than anybody else. But what did they have on the bench?
"We have seen an element of that tonight, and perhaps it isn't as strong at the moment as we thought it was."
Liverpool faced Palace without Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, and Hugo Ekitike. Instead, Slot fielded players including Trey Nyoni, Wataru Endo, Calvin Ramsay, and Freddie Woodman in goal.
Despite the extensive changes ultimately resulting in a heavy defeat, Slot maintains it's customary for Liverpool to utilize the Carabao Cup as an opportunity for academy players and defended his team selection.
"This club has always used this competition for academy players as well," said the Dutchman. "It felt to me the right decision, and I've not changed my opinion of that because we lost."
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