Saturday was yet another frustrating league result for Liverpool as they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Brighton Hove & Albion. On top of that, their star man up top, Hugo Ekitike, left the pitch inside the first ten minutes following a collision with James Milner.
It was the Reds 10th league defeat of the season, a stunning number for the defending Premier League champions.
Perhaps the spring international break has come at just the right time for Arne Slot and his charges, as they have still not been able to find any semblance of consistency on a week-to-week basis.
They'll return from the break to face Manchester City in a huge FA Cup quarterfinal meeting, so there will be no easing back into things. The coaching staff must use this time wisely and correct these three important issues
1. Find lineup consistency
Slot has been tinkering with his Starting XI almost on a match-by-match basis this season. Some of that has been the result of bad luck with injuries, but a lot of the time it has come from the Dutchman searching for anything that could spark the Reds.
The arrivals of key players like Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong were always going to be a slight challenge to integrate into a side that has known consistency for years.
However, we are now in late March and Slot still has not found his best eleven. We think we've seen flashes of something that could work, but then results like the defeat to Brighton throw a wrench in it.
Several players have not lived up to their normal standards, which has resulted in unbalanced squads, which has led to confusion, frustration and ultimately, defeats on the pitch.
With Isak reported to be ready to return from his nasty leg injury sooner than later, Liverpool will have most of their firepower available for the stretch run, assuming the Ekitike knock is not serious as Slot referenced in his post-match press conference.
Not only do the Reds need to confirm their best options, but the formation and style they need to play to maximize their abilities across the board must be addressed. This needs to be the top priority over the next few weeks.
2. Reinvigorate the listless attack
This might sound like an odd one having watched Liverpool rip four past Galatasaray in the midweek, but the result against Brighton once again showed the magic comes and goes too often.
While Salah was missing for the Seagulls match, there should have still been enough in attack to get the job done. Part of the problem stems from the way Slot typically asks his players to play; methodical and possession focused.
When fully fit, the likes of Wirtz, Salah, Ekitike, Isak, Dominik Szoboszlai and others need to be unshackled and allowed to freely flow in the final third.
Why spend so much capital investing in world class attackers if you are simply not going to put them in the best spot to use their many gifts?
To his credit, Slot has been trying to inject some of that flash into the attack as we have seen Rio Ngumoha getting more and more minutes in recent weeks. However, the head boss has not gone as far as to name the teenager as a regular starter, although he probably should at this point.
With how leaky the Reds' defense has been this season, we know goals are going to be needed if a Top 5 finish and any silverware is going to be won.
Putting players in the best positions to wreak havoc on opposing defenders needs to be a big focus for the coaches over this international window.
3. Restore the Liverpool Mentality
This might be the biggest challenge for Arne Slot going forward. Under Jurgen Klopp, we saw 'Mentality Monsters' used often to describe the club.
No matter the situation, opponent, location, etc. we knew Liverpool were going to be on the front-foot and swinging big. They'd go out on their shields until the last man.
These days, under Slot, we have seen that aura largely reduced to nothing. The lads get very clearly nervous and timid in the high pressure moments. Part of this could be they are still unsure of how they should be playing, but even that is a soft excuse.
You need to have some pride for the shirt and understand what it represents. That is why seeing stalwarts like Virgil van Dijk, Salah, Ibrahima Konate and more show this weakness is so difficult.
It's not something we are accustomed to getting at Anfield and if it does not change soon, you can talk all the tactics you want, but with no fighting spirit, nothing will get accomplished.
This one will also be the hardest to correct, as a lot of it is on the players themselves. They need to remember who we are as a club, the high standards that exist and what it takes to deliver those results.
For Slot and his staff, their messaging needs to be clear and concise. They've lost the luxury of time or leeway. They need to get their ideas across and get buy-in from the whole locker room now.
If this can't be done, the final two months of this campaign could be a rough ride for all involved.