Dietmar Hamann believes Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp could find his position under threat unless he finds a spark in the coming weeks.
The Reds are off to their worst start for 10 seasons after picking up just two wins in their opening eight Premier League games.
The latest disappointment came on Sunday afternoon when Klopp’s side fell to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Arsenal, a side that look like genuine contenders to challenge at the top of the table.
In previous seasons, it was Liverpool who rivaled Manchester City the most in the hunt for silverware, but according to ex-Reds star Hamann, the Merseysiders’ spell of dominance may be coming to an end .
Speaking on the talkSPORT Breakfast, Hamann said: “I think as a big team you’re still in transition, but they’ve been at the top of their game for three or four years.
“What they achieved and what they did last year was second to none. I don’t think it will happen again, less than seven days away from winning all four trophies and I think psychologically it was still going be difficult this season.
“If you look at yesterday, Arsenal, in the second half, were everything Liverpool were four or five years ago. They were breathtaking to go forward. Every time they moved forward, you felt like something was going to happen.
“This Liverpool team looks tired, they look pedestrian and they just look flat. I don’t know where the spark will come from because they’ve won games in the past obviously. they beat Rangers a few days ago, but they are obviously far superior to Rangers.
“I hope they know where the spark will come from, but is this the end of an era? I wouldn’t cancel them, but my imagination doesn’t let me see where the spark will come from in the next few weeks.
Hamann added: “The dynamic at Liverpool is no different to anywhere else and if the results are not there the manager will be under pressure.
“If they were to be beaten next week or not win against Manchester City, which seems very likely at the moment, you could be eight or nine points from fourth place.
“We know the owners are not the biggest spenders so we know how vital it is for the team to be in the Champions League because of the income you get.
“At some point I think we will have this discussion about the manager and I don’t know how far we are. [from that].
“He said he still felt he was the right person to do it, but I see little things like Jordan Henderson midweek seeing his number go up and reluctantly pulling his armband off and shaking his head.
“It’s something we haven’t seen at Liverpool for five years. Maybe these are small signs that people have small problems with the team or even the manager.