Arne Slot handed worrying Florian Wirtz verdict as Liverpool timeline is revealed

Kenny Dalglish believes that Liverpool may need a "couple of months" before they are at their best, in a worrying turn of events. The Reds currently occupy the Premier League's top spot with five wins from six matches.

However, their season thus far hasn't been without its setbacks. Liverpool have heavily relied on late goals to clinch wins over Bournemouth, Newcastle United, Arsenal and Burnley, while their backline has looked slack in certain areas, with Alisson shipping seven goals in total.

And while Liverpool enjoyed a five-game unbeaten streak as the campaign kicked off, they currently find themselves heading into Saturday's clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge licking their wounds from back-to-back losses. Arne Slot's side suffered a late 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace on Saturday, before being handed a surprise 1-0 loss at the hands of Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday.

READ MORE: Florian Wirtz told one thing he must do at Liverpool after Jamie Carragher comments

READ MORE: Jamie Carragher dismisses Peter Schmeichel's brave Chelsea theory - 'No chance'

Meanwhile, a number of the summer's biggest signings have failed to make much of an impact since their arrival at Anfield. Milos Kerkez was hooked from his team's clash with Burnley last month in the 38th minute after an uninspired performance in which he picked up a yellow card early on.

Elsewhere, Florian Wirtz has so far failed to live up to the £116million price tag Liverpool handed over to Bayer Leverkusen this summer, unable to register a single goal or assist thus far. Alexander Isak has also failed to hit the back of the net in the league since his £125m move from Newcastle on deadline day, with his only contribution coming in the club's 2-1 Carabao Cup win over Southampton last month.

And while a number of football fans and pundits will hope to see improved performances from some of the summer's marquee signings imminently, Dalglish has explained that supporters could have to grin and bare it for a few months while the players gel as a group.

Speaking on Stick To Football, the former Liverpool forward and manager said: "I don’t think the team that we’ve got at the moment is at its best. I think they’ve got a couple of months to go, and then you’ll see them.

"I think the wee fella Wirtz is a very, very clever boy football-wise, he just needs to get on the same plains as the one in front of him. They are entertaining to watch, but it wouldn’t be so much winning as entertaining.

"I think the winning would be more important than the entertaining, and by the way, we’ve had a couple of scares this year, although we’ve come out on the right side of it. I think the players are set, but they’ve no time.

"I think giving them a bit of time to get used to playing to each other and I think they’ll be better than what they are now. Although at the moment, it’s satisfactory isn’t it?"

It comes as Jamie Carragher has delivered a scathing assessment of Wirtz's Liverpool tenure thus far. Speaking on CBS Sports after Liverpool's Champions League loss to Galatasaray, the pundit said: "I'm not watching a top team.

"Liverpool are not playing football, they are playing basketball. And I told Slot this on the first game of the season against Bournemouth. They obviously have a fantastic manager.

"Liverpool last season were a top team, but also a workmanlike team, which they've sprinkled a bit of stardust on in terms of the transfers they have brought in. And they haven't gained anything going forward, but they've lost a lot defensively.

"I think for the manager now, he now needs to really earn his money. He did last season, by winning the Premier League, but there are a few problems he has got to fix.

"It will be really interesting how he goes about it, because he spent a lot of money on certain players. Right now, the balance of the team is not right, and the obvious one that stands out is Florian Wirtz, who is just not at the races at all.

"He's a young boy, coming to a new league, and has plenty of time to go. But right now, he needs to come out of the team, Liverpool go back to what they were last season, and try to build some confidence and some stability. Right now it looks like a mess."

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