Jamie Redknapp has cast doubts over Liverpool's ability to finish in the top four this season after a disappointing weekend for Jurgen Klopp's side.
The gap between the Reds and the Champions League places currently stands at eight points on the back of a dismal home defeat at the hands of Leeds United, which saw the shortcomings of this current squad brutally exposed.
Anticipated to be in another Premier League title tussle with Manchester City this term, Liverpool have fallen well below expectations and now face the challenge of turning their season around after the winter World Cup in Qatar.
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Despite Chelsea dropping points at Brighton, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur all achieved wins to sustain their push towards a Champions League slot, leaving the Reds at risk of being cut further adrift.
After watching Man United get the better of West Ham United at Old Trafford on Sunday evening, Redknapp is now doubting whether Liverpool will have it within them to outdo their other competitors within the division.
"Everyone just imagined that Liverpool and Man City would be far in advance to everyone else," the ex-Reds midfielder told Sky Sports.
"I don’t think anyone could see what’s happening at Liverpool right now - I certainly couldn’t. I thought they were bankers to finish first or second, but it’s all on them to finish top four.
"Right now they [Man United] look better than Liverpool, that’s obvious. Liverpool are losing at home to a team near the bottom of the league, that’s just not good enough. There’s more questions than answers. The midfield looks tired right now, (Sadio) Mane’s been a huge loss and defensively they don’t look the same team. There’s so many different problems for Jurgen Klopp and is he capable of turning it around?
"What’s going to happen after the World Cup is going to be key and how people return from that in terms of freshness are if there are injuries. What it’s going to take out of them, mentally, we don’t know because we've never had this situation before. Liverpool have got it all on to get into that top four and right now, looking at it, I don’t think they do."
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