Liverpool supporters are yet to be completely convinced that Andoni Iraola is capable of turning their club back in the right direction with the current group of players.

The Reds have made some positive strides under the Basque coach since his arrival in the summer, but there have been a few too many backwards steps as well, with the latest coming via back-to-back defeats against Arsenal and Fenerbahce.

Giorgi Mamardashvili may be given a run of games

Alisson has not been all bad this season, fans need only look back at his stunning stop from Christos Tzolis on Sunday to know that. Nevertheless, it is fairly inescapable that the Brazilian has not quite hit his usual standards, especially in terms of his kicking.

Nicol has noticed this, and told ESPN that Alisson has become ‘unreliable’ with the ball at his feet, which has led to an erosion of trust from his defenders.

“Definitely in the last 12 months, maybe longer, his feet have become pretty unreliable,” said the former full-back.

“I used to think ‘he’s going to save that,’ when certain centre forwards were running through and you’re thinking ‘he’s not scoring.’ There’s other centre forwards where you know it’s hitting the back of the net. With Alisson I’m unsure now.

“I’m not going to say he’s not saving it, but I’m concentrated on it because I’m really not sure. Whereas before, yeah he’s getting that. That’s the difference. Unfortunately for him and for Liverpool, if I’m playing centre- back or I’m a defender, I can see that. We’re not the only people who are seeing that. When you’re playing with players, certainly when you’ve played with them for the amount of time that Van Dijk has played with Alisson, then that affects you as well, it affects your back line.”

With his contract due to expire at the end of the season, Liverpool may soon be looking at life without Alisson regardless. But Nicol says that this might have to come sooner than expected if he cannot sort his form out, leading to Mamardashvili getting a run of games to prove whether he is the right man to succeed the legendary Brazilian.

“It could be a bigger problem than it is, but then there might come a time when Mamardashvili has to step in and he has to get a run of games and let’s see what he’s got,” he said.

Mamardashvili has faced plenty of question marks of his own since his £20m arrival from Valencia, but if Alisson continues on a worrying downward trend, there may come a point where Iraola decides he has no choice but to back the Georgian.