Liverpool head coach Arne Slot’s challenge to restore broken confidence is as big as the one to turn around performances, but the Dutchman has been trying to accentuate the few positives to his players.
Nine defeats in 12 matches — and six in seven in the league — makes Sunday’s trip to West Ham hugely significant as the defending champions try to arrest their slide.
While the negativity surrounding the club grows with every adverse result, Slot is trying to put a positive spin on the brief moments when things do go right.
“It would also be nice if we would reward ourselves in the moments we play well because people are very focused, and correctly, about the parts we don’t play well,” he said.
“There are definitely large parts of the games that we do play well and do create a lot of chances — we tend to forget to reward ourselves in those moments.
“Every small mistake, or small error, immediately leads to us conceding a goal.”
Slot knows morale takes a hit every time his side concede, which has happened 10 times in their last three matches, but believes the players are not going out onto the pitch in a negative frame of mind.
“I don’t see it [confidence] being low when we start the game. I didn’t even see it being low after we conceded [the first goal in Wednesday’s 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven].
“Even when we conceded the 2-1 and again had a disappointment we were able to generate enough chances but after they scored the 3-1 I could see it hurt the players and that wasn’t the period where our fighting spirit was the best in the game, to say it mildly.”
Slot is facing speculation he has lost the dressing room off the back of the club’s worst run in more than 70 years but he denies the squad have stopped listening.
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“After the 3-1 it is very difficult to get a message across when I’m on the sideline but before [the game] and during half-time I think the message comes across to them,” he added.
“If I see how we create our chances it is a lot of the things we train on and what is in the meeting but unfortunately it doesn’t lead to goals and that is difficult for them, for me, for everyone.
“But the message that comes across is very clear from me from the way we generate our chances.”