Liverpool’s major problem last season was failing to turn over the weaker sides at home, so their crushing victories over Premier League cannon-fodder in this term up to now could be seen as significant progress.

But if the Anfield side’s start to the season is put into context, nothing could be further from the truth. It may seem churlish to nitpick after inflicting a 6-1 thrashing, but strugglers Hull are in truly shocking form at the moment and even at their worst Liverpool will always have enough to profit from a shambolic defence.

 

Taking into account the Reds’ performances against moderate opposition, they are considerably worse compared to their form from this stage last year with a midfield lacking guile and a back four looking increasingly suspect.

Once again it was Fernando Torres to lead the way with a superbly taken hat-trick against the beleaguered Tigers but the Spaniard’s mesmeric and dazzling skills not only left his opponents bamboozled, but also papered over the cracks which are evident in the rest of his team.

Leaking soft goals and allowing teams back into games when they should have been dead and buried is something Liverpool have avoided for the majority of Rafael Benitez’s reign but these bad habits are emerging more frequently.

Their defending from set-pieces has sparked the debate about zonal-marking and the cliché ‘space has never scored goals’, but whatever way you look at it Liverpool are failing with the fundamentals of picking players up and attacking the ball from crosses.

Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel have been unusually shaky and vulnerable at the heart of defence while the indifferent form of Javier Mascherano, the player responsible for screening the back four, suggests the Argentine is yet to get over the disappointment of missing out on a move to the Nou Camp.

On the plus side, Yossi Benayoun has hit top form but in trying to accommodate his best role – roaming freely just behind Torres – that positive immediately leads to the negative of Steven Gerrard being forced to sit deep which inhibits his and Liverpool’s attacking threat as a whole.

This conundrum, along with the inept Lucas, has seen their midfield’s attempt to control and dictate games deteriorate – and it places a huge burden on Alberto Aquilani to enforce a creative and dynamic presence when he eventually returns to fitness.

The fact that many title winning teams in the past have started the season slowly and gradually worked their way through the gears before clicking at the right time is a crumb of comfort Liverpool fans will look at, but there doesn’t seem to be the evidence to suggest the team can sufficiently improve enough to last the pace with Chelsea and Manchester United.

Despite their flaws however, Liverpool always seem capable of raising their game for the big occasion and they will certainly need to be at their best in a testing week ahead. A tough trip to Florence in the Champions League is in store before they head to Stamford Bridge, and positive results in these games, particularly against Chelsea, would see renewed optimism. But if their frailties are exposed again it could be the beginning of the end for another title bid.