It was only a few weeks ago where Liverpool were betting favorites to complete a historic treble in Arne Slot's first season at Anfield.
Now, on March 23rd, we see the club in a completely different standing. A gut-wrenching exit in the Champions League Round of 16 on penalties to PSG was followed by a flat and dismal defeat in the Carabao Cup final to a spirited Newcastle United.
Like that, the Premier League became even more important in the eyes of fans and the club itself as it will now be their sole trophy if they can finish the job.
The international break, which allows players to get out of the Liverpool spotlight and hotbed right now might have been a good thing. With that in mind, here are three things I want to see from the Reds after the break.
1. Renewed attacking vigor
The Merseyside Derby is the first fixture back for Slot and his men, to be followed by a meeting with Fulham.
A month ago, those would likely have been seen as easy victories, but that might not be the case right now. Having said that, I want to see Liverpool getting back on the front foot and playing with energy.
The attack has gone limp, even Mohamed Salah has shown signs of being human after all, so the midseason reset might be just what they need to kick on and begin finding the net with regularity once again.
Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez have been very disappointing in recent outings as none of this trio have been able to find their scoring touch in any shape or form.
Getting a healthy Cody Gakpo back will certainly help things as well, but the confidence and ruthlessness must return after the players return.
2. More opportunities for Chiesa, Elliott and Co.
It has become pretty common knowledge that Slot prefers stability and continuity within his lineups and he has a core group of players that he trusts.
If you are a player that is not in that inner circle, it's clear that is very difficult to breakthrough unless you put on several outstanding performances and even then there is no guarantee.
Federico Chiesa for example, has 4 G/A in only 11 total appearances this season and did more in 20 minutes of the EFL Cup final than Jota did in 70 but it's the Portuguese forward that still gets the nod more than not.
Perhaps the sobering week that was could be a wakeup call that more rotation is needed to keep things fresh and lively down the stretch of the season.
You can also learn more about what you have at the club and if any more moves need to be made come summertime.
Elliott being frozen out for large portions of this season seems almost criminal, considering he always puts in a shift and brings a creative flair that not a lot of Liverpool players have.
3. Clarity around the contracts of VVD, Salah and TAA
This one is an off-pitch topic, but still hugely important. The fact that these three still don't have their future's cleared up in late March is stunning.
At least two of the three must be retained, preferably all of them would stay, but that does not seem logical at this point.
To be hunting down a Premier League title when your arguably three best players could be leaving for nothing in a few months is an almost ludicrious scenario. The strain it must put on the players daily cannot be understated.
FSG, Richard Hughes or Mike Edwards, someone, anyone, must get things going on this front. Securing the future of these players would go a long way towards revitalizing not only the current campaign but the future as well.
The club needs to find a way to get these done and avoid a disastrous situation where multiple leave for free and the Reds are left with egg on their face.