Dietmar Hamann has accused his former club Liverpool of complacency and said that they need a "reality check".

The German said that the Reds will never recapture their former success unless they change their mentality and manage their expectations.

"Part of the problem is the club creates so much interest all over the world, people still seem to think that they're still one of the driving forces in Europe - which they're not," he told the Paddy Power football blog.

"The reason the club still attracts interest is because the guys in the 1970s and 1980s were unbeatable. That's got nothing to do with the current crop of players and that's not what has happened in the last eight to 10 years. If you look at the facts of that period it's been pretty dire.

"The club needs a reality check on whether everything that's being done is as it should be."

Jurgen Klopp's Reds emerged as title contenders after a bright start to the season, but a winless run in 2017 has seen them bow out of two cup competitions and lose ground in the race for Champions League football.

Hamann added: "Complacency is the biggest issue the club faces at the moment. People believe 'we are Liverpool, we are going to be alright'. No, they're not alright because a lot of people within the club think that if you give the manager a four-year extension it gives off the perception that things are great, when they're not.

"The manager needs to look hard at the team, but there needs to be a thought process throughout the whole club if they want to maximise what's possible with the players that they've got."

Liverpool face second-placed Tottenham Hotspur at home in the league this weekend.