Murphy dismisses Mane 'excuse', accuses Liverpool stars of 'complacency' and arrogance

The Reds have won just two of their six games in all competitions since the start of the new season, with Jurgen Klopp admitting his frustration after Wednesday's crushing 4-1 defeat to Napoli in the Champions League.

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One of their two wins might have been a 9-0 demolition of Bournemouth, but overall Liverpool have been nowhere near their usual level this term and have continued their startling record of conceding goals.

Their previously all-conquering back-four looks particularly out of sorts and, Bournemouth game aside, they have also struggled up front - with many pointing to the loss of Mane to Bayern Munich as a huge factor behind their dip.

Murphy, though, disagrees, insisting Luis Diaz - playing in Mane's old position on the left wing - has been the club's outstanding player and shining light.

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Instead, he believes the true reason is that complacency has set in after seven years under Klopp - something his old Red manager Gerard Houllier warned of throughout his tenure in charge at Anfield.

"I've felt there has been a complacency set in from some of the players," the former Liverpool midfielder told talkSPORT hosts Jim White and Simon Jordan.

"Houllier used to call it 'the comfort zone', where players get comfortable with knowing they're going to play. Three of that back-four has been picking itself for years, and Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are both struggling.

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"Virgil looks like maybe he's playing with something or protecting himself a little bit because he's not what he was. He's still a terrific player but he's not at the level we were talking about two seasons ago.

"So how do you provoke a reaction? How do you get players back to their level? Normally a kick up the backside and leaving you out of the team can work, but I think it's going to be a tough few weeks for them, it's not going to change overnight.

"This narrative about Mane being such a huge miss, I think that's an easy thing to say.

"Of course he's a miss because he's a super player, but Diaz has been Liverpool's best player - he's scored four goals already and hit the woodwork four times, he's hardly been poor.

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"I think the Mane thing is just an excuse, and maybe players can hide behind that. I don't agree with the Mane point. You miss quality, but him leaving is not the reason the players at the back aren't tracking runners or switching off - that's complacency and a lack of concentration.

"If you've got players dropping off, it's not because they're physically not capable.

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"You could argue that with a 21-year-old who has played every game for three seasons and he needs a rest, fair enough. Trent has played a lot of football and you could argue he physically is a bit off it.

"But senior players, there is no reason for Salah to drop off physically, that's an attitude thing and that's then on the manager.

"Does a manager's message, no matter how successful he's been and how good he's been, eventually over time just become noise? Does it become muted over a period of time?

"I'm not thinking that, I think the players have to take some responsibility."

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Following the shock Napoli result, Klopp admitted Liverpool need to 'reinvent' themselves after a 'difficult period', said they are 'in between' and he has a 'job to do' to fix their alarming slide.

"It was the least compact performance I've seen for a long, long time," said the German. "Napoli played well, but we made it easy for them."

Murphy praised Klopp's honesty and bluntness in his assessment of his team's recent performances, and says the time has come for a mentality change in the Anfield dressing room.

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"Klopp's interview after the game was his best in weeks," he said. "Very honest, you can see his anger and I suspect change. I think we're going to see a reaction and a few players getting a bit of dressing down about their attitude.

"Over Klopp's reign there's one thing Liverpool have always been praised for, the intensity, the tenacity, the energy - it's a prerequisite when you play for Klopp.

"So I expect him to go into the training ground and start kicking some backsides.

"I know he promised a reaction after the Man United game, but there's a difference between losing 2-1 at United when you've dominated possession and feel a bit unlucky, and getting spanked by Napoli 4-1 by a bunch of players who, really, not many of us have ever heard of. There's a big difference."

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Liverpool's American owners Fenway Sports Group have also come in for criticism from fans, who claim they have not backed Klopp in the transfer market as they struggle for midfield options.

But Murphy disagrees and has praised the Boston-based group for supporting the manager with a steady stream of transfer funds.

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"I don't agree that FSG have let him down with transfers," added the former Reds star.

"In the summer I don't remember any discussion about what they're lacking in defence and midfield. They brought in Ibrahima Konate for £50million to help with Van Dijk and Joel Matip, they've got full-backs to cover, they've spent £85m on a striker in Darwin Nunez to fill the void left by Mane's goal and assists - where haven't they backed him?

"In the summer I didn't see many people who weren't expecting Liverpool to be up there with Man City again. Only three months ago we were talking about Liverpool having, or nearly having, one of the best seasons in history.

"It'll all well and good being wise after the event. People are looking for excuses and reasons.

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"But I think it's just a simple mindset change where players have become complacent thinking they're a bit better than they are, and they need to get back to some basics."