Where has it all gone wrong for Liverpool?* And why Bill Shankly's words are relevant now more than ever (*yes, we realise that being 22 points clear is hardly a crisis!)

Sometimes it pays to delve into Anfield history. There are always words to provide perspective, and one famous phrase fits Liverpool's situation.

Inevitably, it is attributed to Bill Shankly. He was asked, during a spell when things were not going Liverpool's way, how a sequence of disappointing results was affecting him and his players.

'Aye,' came the gruff, withering reply. 'Here we are having problems at the top of the league.'

The boom and bust nature of modern football means Liverpool — after back-to-back defeats and 180 minutes without a goal — are in the spotlight.