Arne Slot has once again delivered a rallying call to his Liverpool team as they get themselves up for the Carabao Cup fourth round against Crystal Palace.
Liverpool’s Anfield cup tie is an opportunity to perform without the pressure of Premier League points to earn.
Any release in tension, though, will be minute given the urgency with which Slot’s side need to show signs of life.
Speaking in his programme notes, the head coach said: “It goes without saying that our recent form has not reached the standards that you expect of us or that we expect of ourselves.
“This is, of course, a major disappointment, especially given the positive start we made to the season.
“From our perspective, there are no excuses. Yes, we are aware of the reasons and we will discuss them, but the one thing we cannot and will not do is use them as an excuse.
“Our responsibility is to recognise what is happening and put things right. There is no other option.”
There have been countless factors contributing to Liverpool’s dip in form, and if there were an easy solution, Slot would have found it by now.
One thing that can’t be criticised currently is the effort of the players, each of whom is frustrated by Liverpool’s consistent losses.
Federico Chiesa has spoken of how the away changing room was silent after Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat at Brentford.
Slot added to the Italian’s assessment of the mood, saying: “Part of this process involves being hurt.
“We should be hurt by results like Saturday’s when we lost to Brentford, and we should use the feelings this creates to further fuel our motivation.
“Not that anyone could accuse the players of a lack of effort – if anything, the opposite is true – but how we use this effort and desire is what will make the difference.
“Tonight’s fixture (against Palace) gives us an opportunity to take a step forward, not just in this competition but also in our season as a whole.
“That it comes against an opponent that continues to prove itself to be very strong means this will be a testing cup tie but again, this is the kind of challenge that we have to embrace.”
One of the criticisms levelled at the team this season, new signings in particular, has been their failure to adapt to the physical nature of the Premier League.
Liverpool are one of only three Premier League teams yet to score from a corner or indirect free-kick this season, and they have conceded six goals from set-pieces – only the bottom three have let in more.
This wasn’t an issue last year, however, when Liverpool would play their own game to dominate the opposition.
“We also have to work hard to play our football,” Slot said.
“There has been a lot of discussion about the direction that football has taken in England this season and while this kind of conversation is totally normal, we have to show that not only can we deal with these changes but also that we impose our game on our opponents.
“Again, I would be the first to admit that this has not happened enough up to now and we take responsibility for this.
“At the same time, I do not doubt either the determination or the ability of us to respond in the right way as a team. Saying that is the easy part, though. Now we have to show it.”
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