Premier League champions Liverpool have had an infamously bad season so far with the side out of the EFL Cup and 14 points away from league leaders Arsenal.
Manager Arne Slot may have led the club to the league title last season, but he is under immense pressure at the moment as his side continue to disappoint fans.
Why have Liverpool collapsed this season?
The Reds spent around £400M in the summer window, but their signings are yet to shine under Slot who many feel is regretting losing so many top players who helped them to their 20th league title.
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Speaking exclusively to Tribal Football, Stelling opened up on Liverpool and the factors that may have caused damage to their season so far.
“Don't know. I took them to win the league last year before a ball had been kicked in sort of August, and they were eight or nine to one. So I was ecstatic because they had the league in the bag a long, long way out. I think people forget that they'd won the league a long way out. And I thoroughly expected them to go and have another good season.
“You when they made the signings, when they got Alexander Isak, when they got Florian Wirtz, for example, I think people just thought they were brilliant signings, know, Hugo Ekitike as well. This is in the bag. What's gone wrong? Well, if I knew, mean, Arne Slot would be on the phone with me, wouldn't he? I don't know. Look, it's very hard. We all know.
“History tells you that it's incredibly hard to follow up a title win with another title win. It's the really, really great sides that do. Liverpool obviously have had a lot of issues. We obviously know the tragic loss of Diogo Jota. And it has to have an impact, of course it does.
“But if you look at the impact of the other players that they've lost as well, you know, from Trent Alexander-Arnold onwards, know, to the attacking options that they've lost. And the guys who've come in, let's be brutally honest, they have not done it yet. Just haven't done it yet.
“Whether that's down to the manager or not. I don't know. I think the jury's out a little bit at present. I know a lot of fans will say we won the league, but it was Klopp's team. I'm not so sure.
“Maybe it was Klopp's team, but they played in a different manner to what they did under Jurgen. But this season is a big, big test, for Arne Slot? I'm not certain whose responsibility it is, whether it's just players have taken longer to settle, the wrong players have left. Luis Diaz was one of my favourite, favourite players. I was shocked when he left. Or whether the manager is culpable again, I just don't know.”
Liverpool are on a run of four without a win in the Premier League but are currently unbeaten since November when they lost 4-1 against PSV Eindhoven. Form has been mixed under Slot this season and whilst their title hopes are over, they remain in the Champions League and FA Cup as they chase down more silverware which is not an impossible feat.