The Times North West football writer says club must get back to basics if they are to address the problems that have dogged them this season.
What went wrong in Florence on Tuesday night?
Most Liverpool fans would have been concerned when they saw the team-sheet. Without Javier Mascherano, Liverpool were deprived of a very important part of the way Rafael Benitez likes to play in Europe. Mascherano sits in front of the back four and stops the opposition from playing in that part of the field. That has been one of the main reasons behind Liverpool's success in Europe.
Without Mascherano the feeling was that Steven Gerrard would drop back into midfield and that Dirk Kuyt would play off Fernando Torres.
But the decision to play Fabiano Aurelio in midfield alongside Leiva Lucas was perhaps where it all started to go wrong. Although Aurelio is a very capable midfielder, Liverpool lacked pace and a real physical presence in the centre of the field which meant Fiorentina were able to play through them far too easily.
Why do Liverpool look so frail defensively this season? Is it just that Jamie Carragher is a year older and Martin Skrtel is in a poor run of form?
It is a combination of factors. Liverpool are attacking more than they ever have done under Benitez and have scored more goals at the start of this season than any Liverpool team have done since 1995-96.
The signing of Glen Johnson has been a big part of that but the way they are playing now is a whole new departure for Benitez. It means they are committing a full back very high up the pitch and that in turn is putting a lot of extra pressure on the other members of the back four.
Carragher didn't have the best of games against West Ham United, that was well documented, but since then he has come back into the kind of form we expect from him. Skrtel is a big worry for Liverpool, he is well short of his best at the moment and all that is being exacerbated by the introduction of Emiliano Insua, who is a young left back still making his way in the game.
The problem for Insua is that he is part of a defence that is changing quite a lot at the moment and is far less solid that it has been in recent years. All those things are combining to give this feeling that Liverpool aren't as strong defensively as they have been in the past.
Daniel Agger made his return for the reserves on Tuesday night. Will he come into the equation?
He played 68 minutes for the reserves and by all accounts did very well. Agger will bring much-needed extra competition for places in the heart of the Liverpool defence.
Although Benitez signed Sotiris Kyrgiakos at the end of the transfer window, he is clearly fourth choice and is not putting any real pressure on Carragher and Skrtel. They know they are first picks and any manager needs to know that he has someone who can do a job if his current pairing continues to underperform.
I am not sure Agger will bring the kind of solidity Liverpool need, because he is very much a footballing centre back. Liverpool need to get back to the no-nonsense style of defending that has served them so well in the past.
What kind of impact will last night's defeat have on the club's preparation for the game with Chelsea?
Liverpool need to wake up to some of the problems that have plagued them since the start of the season. It is only when you get a serious setback, like the one they suffered in Florence, which you start to re-evaluate.
Liverpool need to get back to the basics that have been the bedrock of their success under Benitez. They are not defending well as a team. Mascherano will come back into the side on Sunday, so that will give the defence more protection, but it is not just the personnel it is the mentality of the team.
Benitez kept talking about mentality after the game on Tuesday night, there were a lot of individual performances out there but there was a lack of collective responsibility, especially defensively. That will be what is worked on most on the training pitches and if Liverpool can learn from their mistakes then we may well see the kind of Liverpool we have seen in the past.
Is the ongoing instability off the field playing a part in any of this?
The players are well used to what is happening off the field but it isn't helpful. George Gillett Jr. has made quite a few headlines in the past few days but his interests may not necessarily be in keeping with the best interests of the team.
He is looking to bring in investment and do whatever deals he can for his own sake, so maybe he has a different agenda from the club and that is something that will disappoint the supporters.
The lack of a big transfer budget was a problem in the summer. If you look at what he spent it was what he got in through sales. Liverpool were at a point where if they had been able to [spend more money] that may well have paid dividends this season. They were unable to do so because of financial constraints and it probably wouldn't have been prudent to do so.
But if Liverpool had been able to do that then Benitez would have strengthened a few areas of his squad which are looking quite thin at the moment.
Do you expect Liverpool's long wait for the league title to go on?
Liverpool never start well under Benitez, but I have a feeling that what was true in the past is not so true now. Under Benitez Liverpool have always been stronger in Europe, but looking at this side now it is much more suited to the Premier League.
We have seen already that they are more able to beat the lesser teams. They may well struggle against the better sides but, although I am not suggesting they are going to win the title, I wouldn't rule them out.
Has Benitez finally switched his priority to the Premier League and away from Europe?
I am not sure he would see it that way. The Champions League final is in Madrid this season and being a son of Madrid and a former Real Madrid player he would like nothing more than to go back there and lift the European Cup with Liverpool.
Benitez is just trying to address the weaknesses that stopped Liverpool winning the league last season. The loss of Xabi Alonso and even Alvaro Arbeloa has affected the balance of the side but it remains to be seen if Liverpool can address that as the season goes on.
What went wrong in Florence on Tuesday night?
Most Liverpool fans would have been concerned when they saw the team-sheet. Without Javier Mascherano, Liverpool were deprived of a very important part of the way Rafael Benitez likes to play in Europe. Mascherano sits in front of the back four and stops the opposition from playing in that part of the field. That has been one of the main reasons behind Liverpool's success in Europe.
Without Mascherano the feeling was that Steven Gerrard would drop back into midfield and that Dirk Kuyt would play off Fernando Torres.
But the decision to play Fabiano Aurelio in midfield alongside Leiva Lucas was perhaps where it all started to go wrong. Although Aurelio is a very capable midfielder, Liverpool lacked pace and a real physical presence in the centre of the field which meant Fiorentina were able to play through them far too easily.
Why do Liverpool look so frail defensively this season? Is it just that Jamie Carragher is a year older and Martin Skrtel is in a poor run of form?
It is a combination of factors. Liverpool are attacking more than they ever have done under Benitez and have scored more goals at the start of this season than any Liverpool team have done since 1995-96.
The signing of Glen Johnson has been a big part of that but the way they are playing now is a whole new departure for Benitez. It means they are committing a full back very high up the pitch and that in turn is putting a lot of extra pressure on the other members of the back four.
Carragher didn't have the best of games against West Ham United, that was well documented, but since then he has come back into the kind of form we expect from him. Skrtel is a big worry for Liverpool, he is well short of his best at the moment and all that is being exacerbated by the introduction of Emiliano Insua, who is a young left back still making his way in the game.
The problem for Insua is that he is part of a defence that is changing quite a lot at the moment and is far less solid that it has been in recent years. All those things are combining to give this feeling that Liverpool aren't as strong defensively as they have been in the past.
Daniel Agger made his return for the reserves on Tuesday night. Will he come into the equation?
He played 68 minutes for the reserves and by all accounts did very well. Agger will bring much-needed extra competition for places in the heart of the Liverpool defence.
Although Benitez signed Sotiris Kyrgiakos at the end of the transfer window, he is clearly fourth choice and is not putting any real pressure on Carragher and Skrtel. They know they are first picks and any manager needs to know that he has someone who can do a job if his current pairing continues to underperform.
I am not sure Agger will bring the kind of solidity Liverpool need, because he is very much a footballing centre back. Liverpool need to get back to the no-nonsense style of defending that has served them so well in the past.
What kind of impact will last night's defeat have on the club's preparation for the game with Chelsea?
Liverpool need to wake up to some of the problems that have plagued them since the start of the season. It is only when you get a serious setback, like the one they suffered in Florence, which you start to re-evaluate.
Liverpool need to get back to the basics that have been the bedrock of their success under Benitez. They are not defending well as a team. Mascherano will come back into the side on Sunday, so that will give the defence more protection, but it is not just the personnel it is the mentality of the team.
Benitez kept talking about mentality after the game on Tuesday night, there were a lot of individual performances out there but there was a lack of collective responsibility, especially defensively. That will be what is worked on most on the training pitches and if Liverpool can learn from their mistakes then we may well see the kind of Liverpool we have seen in the past.
Is the ongoing instability off the field playing a part in any of this?
The players are well used to what is happening off the field but it isn't helpful. George Gillett Jr. has made quite a few headlines in the past few days but his interests may not necessarily be in keeping with the best interests of the team.
He is looking to bring in investment and do whatever deals he can for his own sake, so maybe he has a different agenda from the club and that is something that will disappoint the supporters.
The lack of a big transfer budget was a problem in the summer. If you look at what he spent it was what he got in through sales. Liverpool were at a point where if they had been able to [spend more money] that may well have paid dividends this season. They were unable to do so because of financial constraints and it probably wouldn't have been prudent to do so.
But if Liverpool had been able to do that then Benitez would have strengthened a few areas of his squad which are looking quite thin at the moment.
Do you expect Liverpool's long wait for the league title to go on?
Liverpool never start well under Benitez, but I have a feeling that what was true in the past is not so true now. Under Benitez Liverpool have always been stronger in Europe, but looking at this side now it is much more suited to the Premier League.
We have seen already that they are more able to beat the lesser teams. They may well struggle against the better sides but, although I am not suggesting they are going to win the title, I wouldn't rule them out.
Has Benitez finally switched his priority to the Premier League and away from Europe?
I am not sure he would see it that way. The Champions League final is in Madrid this season and being a son of Madrid and a former Real Madrid player he would like nothing more than to go back there and lift the European Cup with Liverpool.
Benitez is just trying to address the weaknesses that stopped Liverpool winning the league last season. The loss of Xabi Alonso and even Alvaro Arbeloa has affected the balance of the side but it remains to be seen if Liverpool can address that as the season goes on.
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