.jpg)
Kenny Dalglish left Liverpool's players in no doubt of the ramifications which Saturday's humiliating 3-1 defeat to Bolton Wanderers could potentially bring.
In a rare and publicly scathing fashion, he warned that some players within the squad may be looking elsewhere should the lack of heart shown at the Reebok Stadium become a recurring theme.
However the Kop boss must look to his own current failings and make some vital decisions if Liverpool are to ensure this season does not fall into the same failure as its two predecessors.
Several players signed under his stewardship have been key culprits in a side struggling to match the basic expectation of fans and, more prominently, owners Fenway Sports Group.
John Henry, Liverpool's principal owner, outlined the importance of Champions League qualification after he had relinquished £113.2million in six months for Dalglish to strengthen.
Making up a sizeable chunk of the club's transfer expenditure last year are three players who have regularly bore the brunt of criticism since their respective arrivals at Anfield.
Stewart Downing's decade at the highest level of English football did little to justify the £20million price Aston Villa were allowed to dictate to Liverpool last summer.
Yet Dalglish believes that the winger is a far better player than he had initially anticipated. He will be hard pressed to find any supporter who would currently echo those sentiments.
Matching the extravagance squandered on Downing was the £35million outlay for Andy Carroll almost 12 months ago which continues to resemble a panic buy with each passing day.
The jury was out on the 23-year-old almost since the day he joined from Newcastle United but a verdict was reached within the first few months of this season despite several false dawns.
His role in assisting Craig Bellamy, ironically one of Liverpool's finest signings this season at the princely sum of a free transfer, for Saturday's consolation showed signs of promise.
But it has become an all too familiar story as the performances which followed impressive cameos against Wolves and West Brom emphasised this severe lack of consistency.
That £35million price tag remains an albatross around Liverpool's neck with countless explanations for his failure to resemble the striker who netted regularly at St James Park.
A lack of service was largely attributed yet the arrival of ex-Newcastle team mate Jose Enrique, undoubtedly the club's best capture this season, could not remedy the problem.
Steven Gerrard's show-stopping return against Carroll's boyhood club at the end of last month saw countless pinpoint deliveries alarmingly spurned by the striker from close range.
Dalglish has fiercely defended Carroll against suggestions, most prominently by England manager Fabio Capello, that his social life was the biggest obstacle to finding form.
Carroll's presence within the Liverpool night life spectrum is no more frequent than those of other players but his on field attributes, in the main, leave little to be desired.
It is only the fall from grace of Fernando Torres, his predecessor in the Reds' number nine shirt, which has spared him widespread onslaughts but even here he is on borrowed time.
Charlie Adam's price fee was far from lucrative in relation to those of Downing and Carroll but his regular inclusion, like both has rarely matched the hype generated.
The Kop's reservations about his prolonged move from one-season wonders Blackpool appears to have come home to roost with the opinion that his ability matched his former employers rather than his current ones.
Lucas Leiva's loss at the heart of midfield since November has done little to aid his progression at Anfield with Jay Spearing only able to deputise prior to injury.
Adam's reputation as a set piece extraordinaire following his efforts in attempting to help Blackpool beat the drop last term has yet to materialise with deliveries often flying wayward.
Jordan Henderson has escaped criticism after premature detraction at the beginning of the campaign and genuinely appears to fit the often fabled 'one for the future' tag line.
Time will tell whether he will be able to accelerate that development in the coming 12 to 18 months but he has yet to falter into the same bracket as his fellow North East team mates.
Today begins a week which will make or break Liverpool's season. Ninety minutes and Manchester City are all that stands between them and a first Wembley final since 1996.
The tie appears slightly precarious with only a one-goal advantage while Saturday's visit of Manchester United offers another opportunity to salvage this season with silverware.
Some question whether progression in both competitions would merely paper over the cracks, with a top four finish unlikely but currently not out of the realms of possibility with only a six-point margin.
Henry and Tom Werner's arrival on Merseyside for both occasions merely underlines the magnamity of the tasks ahead, as does next Tuesday's transfer window deadline.
The latter will leave Dalglish with some serious decisions to make in light of his Reebok threat, having previously stated that the club was anticipating a 'quiet window'.
He, as well as director of football Damien Comolli, must now sacrifice personal pride in order to ruthlessly revive Liverpool's fortunes, with Henry's warning that failure to finish in the top four this season would be a "major disappointment" looming over the Anfield dugout.
Please note: This is a comment piece and the opinions expressed in this item are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the stance or opinions of the management and owners of Click Liverpool.
LFC_FAN, India around 4 months ago