A few Liverpool supporters might have subscribed to the thought of Jurgen Klopp leaving after Anfield was dismantled in shocking fashion by an Atalanta side sat in sixth place in the Serie A.
If Liverpool's chance of progression in the Europa League hangs in the balance, it is dangling by a tenuous thread, with a 3-0 home loss littered with individual errors, an absence of discipline, and, frankly, a mess of organisation – creating a new, gnawing sense of unease.
Liverpool were breezing at Old Trafford on Sunday, a goal ahead at the break and in breathtaking command, only for a mistake from Jarell Quansah to allow Bruno Fernandes to score a remarkable lob.
Mohamed Salah rescued a draw late on after Kobbie Mainoo's sumptuous strike, but Liverpool have ceded first place in the Premier League and desperately needed a reaction that did not come against Atalanta.
Caoimhin Kelleher and Ibrahima Konate will hang their heads following detrimental errors, while the motley, mishmash nature of the squad's performance is ultimately the central point of the defeat, but Darwin Nunez's third-rate striking performance cannot go without rebuke.
Darwin Nunez's performance vs Atalanta
A dismayed Klopp railed at his club-record, £85m striker, a man who had a host of detractors last season with some remaining this term, though 18 goals and 13 assists in all competitions speaks of the 24-year-old's growing importance and influence.
He has earned the moniker of "agent of chaos" – as has been relayed by BBC Sport's Phil McNulty – during his time on Merseyside but this is not always attributed with affection. Nunez is wild, wily, wonderful, but also perplexing, and profligate.
Against Atalanta, the Uruguayan rifled three off-target shots, striking on goal timidly on one further occasion, failing with both of his dribbles, winning one of his eight contested duels, and taking just 25 touches before being hooked on the hour mark, as per Sofascore.
Kelleher, the goalkeeper, touched the ball 81 times, painting a clear picture regarding the location of Liverpool's creative hub.
The chastening nature of the collective effort is alarming heading into the final stretch of the campaign; Liverpool have been out of sorts for a while, candidly, and face juggernauts in Arsenal and Manchester City for the Premier League title.
That said, if Nunez had rallied a modicum of his goalscoring prowess, Liverpool might find an altogether different narrative, one fitting for the swansong of Klopp's illustrious tenure.
But he's not only to blame, far from it. Liverpool have been slow starters for much of the season and, in fact, for much of Klopp's reign. Dominik Szoboszlai should have instilled energy and confidence, one nil down, after half-time. He did not.
Dominik Szoboszlai must now be dropped
Szoboszlai joined Liverpool from RB Leipzig in a £60m package last summer and hit the ground running, revitalising a sapped midfield and leading correspondent Neil Jones to name him Klopp's "dream signing".
But his powers have waned over recent months and potentially suffered the nadir of his Liverpool career so far against Gian Piero Gasperini's side on Thursday night, listless and error-strewn after his introduction after the interval.
Despite being in the thick of the action, the Hungarian flattered to deceive as he contributed with not a single key pass, failing to make a tackle or win a duel, languidly losing the ball to Gianluca Scamacca in the build-up to Atalanta's third.
Szoboszlai's arrival on the field was supposed to signal a fresh burst of energy and enthusiasm but he trudged off at full-time as arguably the worst, bluntest performer of the occasion, epitomising the summary of the Athletic's James Pearce.
The reporter said: "What a mess of a performance. The worst of the season by some distance. So much wrong. So many errors. 14-month unbeaten run at home is ended."
Minutes played
45'
Touches
48
Accurate passes
32/36 (89%)
Shots taken
2
Key passes
0
Possession lost
10x
Dribbles completed
0/2
Duels won
0/4
Tackles
0
Dribbled past
1
Errors leading to goal
1
As you can see in the table above, the former Bundesliga star was completely ineffective in and out of possession throughout his time on the pitch, which shows that the substitute had a horrorshow on Thursday night.
He was so poor that the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle branded him with a 3/10 match rating, writing: 'Had one shot blocked early on but looked way off the pace and lost ball for third. Not his best night.'
The error aside, Szoboszlai was simply ineffective at a time that begged for his finest attributes, attributes that have proved demonstrably game-changing during his time at Liverpool so far.
But the thing is, Alexis Mac Allister is probably the first name on the team sheet right now, he's that good. It doesn't matter where he plays in the centre of the park, but he's certainly more threatening in a more attacking role, thus demanding the inclusion of Wataru Endo, who's been largely brilliant since a surprise £16m signing from Stuttgart last August.
Szoboszlai simply hasn't produced the level of his early-season performances by half over these recent months. Marred by injury and setbacks, yes, but this is kitchen sink time and Liverpool can ill afford another slip-up.
Curtis Jones is back and Harvey Elliott is invariably creative and impactful when unleashed. Moreover, Stefan Bajcetic is back and could make a world of difference if he picks up where he left off in the Premier League, albeit over one year ago.
Liverpool may have to drop 4/10 star after Atalanta horror show
It was a frustrating night for Jurgen Klopp’s farewell tour.
ByJoe NuttallApr 12, 2024
Szoboszlai was the most expensive of the lot last summer and is clearly an immensely talented player, having produced six goals, eight assists, and 14 'big chances' created in the Bundesliga for Leipzig during the 2022/23 campaign for the German side.
However, he should now be dropped, having started the last Premier League match against United, lest Liverpool give Klopp a send-off inappropriate for one so vital, so extraordinary in their impact since arriving in 2015 and lifting the city back toward greatness.
It will then be down to the Hungary international to make the most of his opportunities off the bench in future matches to earn his way back into the starting XI.