Pat Nevin believes Liverpool will decide one way or another whether Brendan Rodgers is the right man for the job as winter sets in.
The manager has been under pressure this season after an indifferent start to the campaign and with the next transfer window in January, Pat reckons that will come into the hierarchy's thinking.
"Oddly enough before the season started, I think there was a general acceptance that during November/early December time, decisions will be made because Liverpool will want to spend a little bit more money in January and if they're going to do that, they're going to have to decide whether they'll let (A) Brendan Rodgers, (B) a new man or (C) let their transfer policy unit do it once again and those decisions will have to be made in November or December time and I think by then, we'll have a fairly good idea if they're going to be really challenging for a Top 4 place," Pat told Off The Ball.
Reviewing the weekend defeat to Manchester United, Pat also has other concerns about Liverpool.
"I think their reliance on Benteke is huge," he said.
"I think there's a massive reliance until they get Sturridge back - if he comes back strongly - and he didn't have a great game but that was some goal. It was an amazing goal but the rest of the game he was dominated. I would also say with Coutinho not being there, that makes a difference as well to Liverpool. But they don't look like a team that's going to be Top 4. They look a little bit off that just now."
Pat also gave his take on Chelsea's continued poor form and dicsussed Everton's hat-trick hero Steven Naismith.
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