Friday's 4-2 defeat by Cliftonville leaves the Inver Reds third in the table with just two wins in their past six games.

For a side that are accustomed to setting the standard in the Irish League's top flight, the early signs of their title defence have been far from convincing.

But what has gone wrong so far this campaign for Gary Haveron's side? BBC Sport NI explores.

Failure to replace Ryan

One of the biggest questions surrounding Larne before the campaign began was whether they could replace the attacking threat left behind by Andy Ryan's departure.

The 32-year-old netted 70 goals in 121 appearances and was instrumental in their recent Premiership success, as well as their historic European run.

Replacing a player the calibre of Ryan was never going to be easy, but Larne have struggled to find a consistent goalscorer this campaign.

The Inver Reds have scored eight fewer goals than league leaders Coleraine this season, with their summer signings yet to make the desired impact.

Montel Gibson has not scored and has played limited minutes since his arrival, while Kevin O'Hara has netted just once in the league.

Matty Lusty, who scored nine goals last campaign, has shown his ability in spells but his season has been hindered by injuries, while Paul O'Neill is their current top scorer with four goals but he has also struggled to find consistent goalscoring form.

For a side aiming to clinch the Irish Premiership title, having a range of goalscorers will be crucial and Larne are still waiting for key players to find form.

'We need to get back to what makes us, us' - Haveron

Over recent years, Larne's defensive strength has been key to their success.

They conceded just 26 goals last season on their way to the title, but that resilience has been harder to come by this campaign and they have have already let in 14 goals.

Cliftonville were the latest team to expose the chink in Larne's armour, capitalising on mistakes and poor defending from a set-piece for their goals on Friday, with manager Haveron acknowledging it is a worry.

"It's definitely a concern because it's not like us to ship the goals that we're shipping, but we're doing it far too often and frequently," Haveron told BBC Sport NI.

"Listen, they're not bad players and they have not become bad players overnight. We need to get back to what we were doing previously.

"The [European] hangover has well and truly kicked in, and we need to get out of it very, very quickly and get back to what makes us, us. Being resolute and strong defensively and back to winning games of football."

It is not just the number of goals that Larne are conceding which is a concern, but the timings of those goals as well.

At Solitude, Cliftonville netted twice in the opening 10 minutes to gain control and give Larne a mountain to climb.

During the summer, Larne were 10 minutes away from securing a place in the group stages of a European competition for the second time before Lincoln Red Imps produced an impressive comeback to snatch a Uefa Conference League spot.

When Dundela knocked them out of the ToalsBet Senior Shield on penalties, the east Belfast side equalised in the final minute and, in the Irish Premiership, Coleraine netted three second-half goals to come from 2-0 down to win at Inver Park.

Haveron knows the importance of starting and finishing games well, so getting to the bottom of why they are conceding goals so early and late in games will be pertinent to stop the rot.

Indifferent league form

Larne initially responded well to their European heartbreak and won their next six Irish Premiership matches.

However, their winning run came to an abrupt end against Coleraine and another disappointing defeat by fellow Premiership challengers Linfield soon followed.

The Inver Reds displayed character and fought back in their next match against Bangor, when they came from a goal behind to win 2-1, but they have struggled to build any sustained momentum since.

A frustrating draw against newly promoted Limavady United followed and left them without a win in three home games.

They did end that run with a late 1-0 win against Portadown, but it was far from convincing and after their latest defeat against the Reds, Haveron conceded they face an uphill battle to retain the Gibson Cup.

"It's damaging that you can't drop the points that we've dropped already this season and expect to be in the mix for anything," Haveron continued.

"Listen, we have just got to get back to putting a run together, winning the next game, and try and focus on doing that and hopefully we can build a wee bit of momentum on what we're trying to achieve.

"We need to address it and I need to look at it and I'll not point any fingers at any players without looking at myself, first and foremost."

The colour of the ribbons that were placed on the Gibson Cup only being decided on the final day of last season proves that every season has plenty of twists and turns, so no one will be ruling Larne out of the title race.

There is still plenty of football to be played and the Inver Reds have the quality and experience to put together a run that will have them back into contention.

However, there is little room for error even at this early stage, with an upturn in form much imperative if the side have any ambition of retaining their title.