Rafael Benitez has told his Liverpool players they must show more desire, determination and self-belief if they are to secure fourth spot.
A first defeat to Wigan at the DW Stadium was their ninth of the season and left the side in real danger of failing to make the top four in the Premier League.
The Reds remain sixth, a point behind current fourth-placed incumbents Tottenham but having played more matches than any of their rivals.
However, what is of more immediate concern to Benitez is the manner of the performance in which virtually the entire side were abject in their ability to pass the ball or compete against committed opponents.
The Spaniard was at a loss to explain just why his side were so bad during the first half against the Latics but has told his squad they cannot afford to reproduce such ineptitude.
Benitez insists Liverpool can still qualify for the Champions League but it is going to take an impressive run of results - they have to play Manchester United away and Chelsea at home in their remaining nine matches - to change their fortunes.
"It depends on us. If we don't show we can beat teams then at the end it will be the same [as the Wigan result]," he said.
"When you lose you have to be disappointed but the way you lose is sometimes more important and in the first half we were just not good enough.
"I was surprised. I don't know, really I don't. I cannot understand it.
"We couldn't afford a performance like that before and we cannot now."
Liverpool went downhill from the moment striker Fernando Torres volleyed against the outside of the post in the eighth minute.
But even despite their difficulties the Spain international, who has 13 Premier League goals this season, still had a further four decent chances and a player of his quality would have expected to have taken one of them.
Benitez, however, did not lay all the blame at the club record signing's feet.
"Sometimes he is the difference," said the Liverpool boss, who said the only positive to come from the game was right-back Glen Johnson's substitute appearance after more than two months out with a knee injury.
"Yesterday we had two or three chances but you cannot score if you do not win the ball, or give the ball away, and if you do not win the second ball you cannot create chances.
"If we don't change what we did in the first half we will have problems but in terms of the ideas and the quality I think we have enough offensive players on the pitch."
Liverpool now face a testing trip to Lille for Thursday's Europa League last-16 tie, in which Benitez admits they cannot afford a defeat.
"We have to do it (against Lille) and I believe in the players," he added.
His belief may be mis-placed as forward Ryan Babel, one of the players who has been infuriating in his consistency since his £11million arrival from Ajax in July 2007, admitted confidence is fragile.
"We still have hope and faith that we can get fourth place," said the Holland international.
"It will be harder in every game. It was going to be difficult even before this game.
"We needed to get three points and that's why the disappointment is so big that we failed.
"It is disappointing that we can't create a kind of confidence with winning games.
"One defeat seems to spoil all the confidence that we have and then we have to start again.
"We have made it a little difficult for ourselves."
