Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted he expected his side to struggle at the start of this season after he invested in a host of what he describes as "not really established" players.
The departure of Luis Suarez to Barcelona in July swelled Rodgers transfer kitty in the summer transfer window, but he has suggested he always suspected the players attracted to Anfield would need time to settle at the club.
Mario Balotelli, Lazar Markovic and Dejan Lovren are among the new faces that have struggled to make an impression. But Rodgers seems unsurprised by the transition that has occurred within his team, who face Newcastle on the weekend.
"We lost a world class talent and the natural progress of the team was halted, so we needed the squad rebuilt," Rodgers told reporters. "I think where we are is what was expected. The players we brought in [over the summer] were not really established.
"That decision was made knowing they might struggle a bit initially but further in the future would be big players for the club. That is where we are right now.
"It was clear we needed to do that and it is clear that with some of the young players that have come in, we've seen their qualities, it's just going to take them time to adapt.
"With young players, you get mistakes. Then there is the lifestyle. You have adaptation, new players coming into a different way of life."
Rodgers sought to pick out the positives in his side's start to the season, as he argued the disappointment of the club's supporters needs to be put into perspective.
"Of course, it may be difficult for other people to understand it because of where we were last season," he added. "The expectancy here has grown to a level, which probably two years ago wasn't there. So we have to deal with that. It's something I am quite relaxed about. It's there because we've done so well.
"At the moment, without being anywhere near our best, we are in the quarterfinal of a cup, our Champions League fate is still in our own hands and we are a couple of points off the top four. If it hadn't been for a dramatic late equaliser in the derby, we would be fourth.
"There's a lot of great work on a daily basis. My drive has intensified even more to make sure this group is successful, comes together and we can challenge at the very top.
"People said after the Real Madrid game, 'Does that show how far you've got to go?'
"I said it shows how far we have come. A couple of years ago, having Real Madrid at Anfield on a Champions League night, people would've thought we are a long way off that.
"Are we playing as fluent as we were last season? No, but is there big potential in the team? I believe there is. We still have to deliver as a team, we still want to win and be competing and I genuinely believe that's what will happen."