Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Liverpool embarrassingly drew 2-2 to Ludogorets midweek in the Champions League and despite this, their manager Brendan Rodgers said his side showed "real character".
Unfortunately, real character does not win trophies and silverware. Winning games does. This is something which the Reds are not doing in Europe, or in the Premier League, where they currently reside in 12th place.
If the Merseyside club wishes to change its fortunes, one answer could be to remove the Scotsman from the club. Another could be to bring in some new faces.
Here are FIVE players Liverpool should sign in January:
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Petr Cech
Quite simply, Simon Mignolet has not been good enough for Liverpool this season across all competitions. He has only managed to keep two clean sheets and has conceded 18 goals across 12 league games. If he carries on at this rate, he is predicted to concede 57 goals in total in the league, more than what he let in last season. Competition needs to be brought in to improve or replace Mignolet, and one option is Petr Cech. The Czech Republic international is a proven and world-class goalkeeper who may be difficult to obtain, but would be worth almost any price tag Chelsea places upon him if they choose to sell him.
Ezequiel Lavezzi
Rodgers is a fan of Ezequiel Lavezzi and the Argentine would certainly bolster their squad. His current club PSG could be looking to cash in on the forward if he doesn’t sign a new contract. His current deal expires in 2016, so the French giants could part ways with him in January to earn a good return on him. Lavezzi would add good competition to the wings and to the forwards, providing assists and goals, but his age of 29 means he isn’t a permanent solution.
Xherdan Shaqiri
Xherdan Shaqiri has been out of favour so far this season at Bayern Munich. From 12 league games this season, Shaqiri has only appeared in eight games, and started in three. Whilst the Swiss international might not be quick to leave the German champions just yet, he could leave on loan to play some more regular football. Liverpool would be a good option as they have shown interest in him in the past.
Jackson Martinez
The Merseyside club are desperate for a forward to score them some goals. Rickie Lambert might be scoring goals as of late, but at the age of 32 he isn’t a long-term solution. Mario Balotelli seems to be edging ever closer to an exit just after arriving due to his attitude and lack of goals, and Daniel Sturridge can’t be relied upon due to his injury record. Enter Jackson Martinez. The Porto forward, who has also been linked with Tottenham, has scored seven goals from 10 league appearances so far this season would be an ideal candidate. He has shown he can score in the Champions League as well, with five goals from five games.
Mauro Icardi
Another solution to Liverpool’s forward problems could be Mauro Icardi. The Inter Milan forward has been one of the top strikers in Serie A this season, scoring seven goals from 12 games. Competition for the 21-year-old's signature is dense as Chelsea and Tottenham are keen on signing the young Argentine as well. If Icardi were to move to Liverpool, he would be available for the Champions League as well, unlike Jackson Martinez.