Liverpool's heavy defeat at the home of Napoli (4-1) confirmed that Jurgen Klopp's team is in crisis.
A defence that concedes goals easily and a lack of freshness and options due to the injuries that have hit them this year, the Reds appear to be experiencing their worst period in six years and are being asked to "reinvent" themselves, as the German coach characteristically stated.
However, the Minister of National Defense, Nikos Panagiotopoulos, also weighed in on the issue.
Commenting on a post on the official account of the Reds, the member of the Greek government gave his advice on how to get his beloved team out of the competitive quagmire, suggesting the purchase of a first-class right-back and the transfer of Trent Alexander-Arnold to axis!
"Buy a top class full back, push TAA in midfield. Problem solved!” he wrote on Facebook, even getting the approval of some of the club's fans.
Liverpool's Champions League campaign got off to a nightmare start in hot and humid Naples on Wednesday as sensational Napoli ran out comprehensive 4-1 winners.
Victor Osimhen set the precedent early on, hitting the post inside the opening 60 seconds before James Milner clumsily conceded a fifth-minute penalty, which Piotr Zielinski kept his cool to convert.
Liverpool, stunned into submission, then presented Osimhen with his own chance to test Alisson from 12 yards after an ill-timed challenge from Virgil van Dijk was penalised by VAR review.
Alisson denied the Napoli striker's spot-kick attempt, but Liverpool's reprieve only lasted 13 minutes. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia outmuscled Joe Gomez, who endured a torrid 45 minutes before being hauled off, to present Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa with an opportunity to slot the ball low past Liverpool's helpless 'keeper.
Things went from bad to worse shortly before the interval as substitute Giovanni Simeone - on in place of the injured Osimhen - was found unmarked in the six yard box to turn home Kvaratskhelia's pinpoint cross.
Zielinski rounded off the scoring for Luciano Spalletti's new-look side two minutes into the second period to compound Liverpool's misery, before Luis Diaz temporarily quietened the deafening home crowd when cutting inside to bend a low right-footed shot beyond Alex Meret.
Diaz, Liverpool's only saviour on an otherwise sultry evening, also saw a thumping header saved while concerns in midfield personnel were slightly assuaged by the reemergence of Thiago and debut of Juventus loanee Arthur - both second-half substitutes.
Liverpool have started their Premier League campaign with a stuttering two wins from six games and carried that languid form into their Group A opener against Serie A's second-placed side.
In contrast, Napoli are unbeaten in five domestic matches and are scoring goals for fun, so it was no surprise when Liverpool's leaky defence opened the door to both Osimhen and Zielinski inside the first quarter of a particularly one-sided game.
Osimhen's surge to beat Liverpool's offside trap and dribble around Alisson before striking a shot off the outside of the post set the tone as the visitors were humiliated 102 days on from losing the European final to Real Madrid in France.
The celebrations are guaranteed to continue long into the night in southern Italy, while Liverpool will hope their weak start to this season has bottomed out following an embarrassing defeat.
Liverpool have lost all three of the games they have played at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona under Klopp - this being their joint-heaviest defeat in Champions League competition.
Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp speaking to BT Sport:
"It was really tough to take but I would say not that difficult to explain.
"Firstly, Napoli played really well and we didn't. That is the first explanation for the defeat. The two penalties we concede, they were both a little unlucky.
"The next two goals we concede are handed to them on a plate. That is not cool and we should have defended better in the first place and, of course, in the last moment as well.
"We were not compact defensively or offensively. Until Thiago entered the pitch I cannot remember one counter-pressing situation. The reason for that is that we are just too wide.
"You could see it on the pitch. We were not working as a team. That is why we lose games. We play in the strongest league in the world and have a tough Champions League group too.
"We have to play in three days against Wolves. If Wolves saw that game tonight they would not stop laughing and would say it is the perfect moment."
