Arne Slot has his hands full this week following four Liverpool defeats on the spin.
The Reds have been poor of late and their previous four fixtures have brought about just three goals scored.
They have also shipped seven strikes in that time in losses to Crystal Palace (2-1), Galatasaray (1-0), Chelsea (2-1) and Manchester United (2-1) respectively.
Slot, the club’s manager, has come in for some criticism in that time despite what has been a decent beginning to the Premier League campaign where they sit third behind Manchester City and Arsenal.
The Dutchman’s tactical set up has been the subject of questions and much debate from supporters while his personnel selections have also been controversial at times.
Why are Liverpool struggling in Premier League under Arne Slot?
And that is where the 47-year-old will have to earn his money this week when Liverpool square off against Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Big calls will have to be made by the former Feyenoord head coach if he wants to arrest the poor form which is already threatening to derail his side’s season.
But what exactly does Slot have to fix? Where can he make tweaks to his line up that might bring about a morale boosting victory in Europe?
We have taken a look at some issues the boss can go over in his mind before tomorrow evening’s clash at Deutsche Bank Park.
Hugo Ekitike or Alexander Isak in Liverpool attack?
Alexander Isak cost a massive transfer fee following what was an exhausting summer saga when he forced his move through from Newcastle United.
But the Swedish striker appears to be suffering karmic retribution as he has seriously struggled to make any sort of impact at Anfield since that switch.
Hugo Ekitike, meanwhile, cost £69million and while that was a hefty chunk of change, it was a deal that was rather straight forward and did not ruffle too many feathers.
Ekitike has found the net for the club five times from his 11 outings so far while Isak has scored just once in seven so it was a questionable choice for Isak to start vs Manchester United ahead of his French teammate.
The latter looked more dangerous after coming off the bench than Isak did vs the Red Devils and against his former club will likely know where the bodies are buried and the weaknesses Frankfurt will have.
Slot has to decide on whether to pick Ekitike from the start or continue to try and justify the Isak spend.
Time for Liverpool to drop Mo Salah?
Like Isak, Mo Salah has not had his troubles to seek this season so far.
The Egyptian King is the usual go-to star for Liverpool but he has found it difficult this term and that shows in his stats where he has only scored three times in 11 outings. One of which was from the penalty spot.
His confidence appears shot and his form is failing as a result and that leaves Slot with a big decision to make.
The likelihood is that the manager will persist with his playmaker as it only takes one match for the 33-year-old to rediscover his light.
But he will have to make a judgment call if it continues to hold his side back.
Find a way around low block
Slot complained following the United defeat in front of his own supporters that their opponents made good use of the low block which made it difficult for the Reds to attack.
Is that not the reason a manager is employed by a club in the first place? To find answers to difficult questions?
Slot has more than £240m worth of attacking and creative talent in his starting XI and more on the bench, so a Liverpool boss cannot moan about the tactics employed by opposition clubs.
Swapping Salah for a Jeremie Frimpong on the flank, for example, may provide more width for his side to play with. That, in turn, opens more doors for the attacking stars to make more inventive and thoughtful runs into and around the box.
Alternatively there is always the option for his defensive players to send the ball long for his strikers to compete physically at the other end to mix things up.
Persisting with the same shape and set up when things are not necessarily going well is not the right thing to do as the manager found out.
He has to be adaptable.
Address Liverpool set-piece crisis
Liverpool have shipped five goals from set-pieces this season so far and it’s not even November yet.
From 11 goals in all competitions, almost half have been conceded from corners or free-kicks and that has to be seen as unacceptable for a team looking to win trophies.
Better organisation at the back is a must or they will continue losing sloppy goals.
That lies with the manager on the training pitch and with Frankfurt next up, he will be tasked with fixing it quick in training today. Or at the very least looking to lay down foundations of improvement.
Cut out short build-up play
Liverpool were so used to having Trent Alexander-Arnold’s passing talents that they don’t seem to have learned how vital it was to their counters yet.
The former Anfield right-back, now at Real Madrid, was so adept at switching play with a long, raking pass to tee up teammates who had isolated defenders in attack.
Conor Bradley does not possess the same skill in that element of his game and it is hurting the team going forward.
That’s not an attempt to slight Bradley, but it is a genuine issue Slot’s side are facing.
It means they are finding themselves more often than not beginning to build attacks much shorter and that is forcing their playmakers to drop deeper to pick the ball up.
Salah seems to be suffering and new signing Florian Wirtz has not started the season as the same player he was at Bayer Leverkusen.
That is in part down to the fact that his teammates are asking him to sacrifice his starting position at the top end of the pitch and he is struggling to adapt properly.
Slot has to find a way of getting the German, 22, back to his best.
