The verdict from a 2005 European champion

Dietmar Hamann has never been one to soften a blow, and he isn't starting now. The former Liverpool midfielder has come out swinging at his old club, insisting the Reds will fail to break into the Premier League's top four this season and that the recruitment that was supposed to drive them forward has instead left them badly exposed. For a man who lifted the European Cup with Liverpool in 2005, it is a damning assessment.

Hamann's concerns are grounded in the table as it stands. Liverpool have won just two of their opening six Premier League matches under new head coach Andoni Iraola and were hammered 3-0 at home by Manchester City last weekend. They head to fourth-placed Brentford on Saturday with questions mounting. "Finishing in the top four for Liverpool this season will be a success, but I don't see it happening," Hamann said flatly. "I don't see closing that 25-point gap with Arsenal from last year."

The competition Liverpool are up against

Hamann's broader analysis of the top-four race is difficult to dismiss. He sees Manchester City and Arsenal as effectively guaranteed their places barring a points deduction, while Chelsea's absence from European football gives them a fresh advantage in the league. Add Brighton and Brentford's strong starts to the mix, and then factor in the expectation that Manchester United will eventually find some form, and Hamann believes Liverpool could find themselves squeezed out entirely.

It is worth noting Liverpool did manage to secure Champions League football last season, though only just, finishing fifth and ultimately paying for it with Arne Slot's departure. Iraola was brought in to rebuild, but Hamann is not yet convinced the players are responding. "Liverpool's only chance is Iraola getting a tune out of those players brought in last year but so far he hasn't managed it," he said.

The spending question and what it means for Wirtz

Perhaps Hamann's sharpest criticism is directed at Liverpool's recruitment. Having spent £125m on Alexander Isak and £116m on Florian Wirtz in the previous summer, the club then committed a further £123m on Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain this summer. Hamann acknowledges Liverpool are not traditionally the biggest spenders, but he believes the club misjudged badly when they thought a significant outlay could buy them sustained dominance. "Other than Ekitike before his injury, none of those players have stepped up and performed," he said. "So they didn't just overspend, they badly overspent."

Barcola at least showed signs of promise in midweek, scoring a hat-trick in the 6-3 Champions League victory over LASK in Austria, a match in which Wirtz also caught the eye. But Hamann is unconvinced by the Germany international's long-term future at the club. He points out that Wirtz's better performances have come in European competition, where the tempo and physical demands differ from the Premier League. With Gakpo and Isak currently sidelined, Hamann acknowledges dropping Wirtz is not a realistic option right now, but he does not believe the relationship has a future. "It has been 14-15 months now and that has gone far too long," he said. "It won't be a love affair between Liverpool and Wirtz. I think very shortly both parties will be looking for a solution to the problem."

Saturday's trip to Brentford will tell us plenty about whether Iraola can start turning the tide.