Jurgen Klopp refused to defend his players after Liverpool slumped 3-0 to Wolves.
Joel Matip’s goal set the tone for a shock victory as the hosts raced into a 2-0 lead inside 12 minutes.
Craig Dawson scored the first goal and Ruben Neves tackled the misery as Wolves recorded their biggest win in almost a year.
Liverpool are 10th in the Premier League after losing three away games for the first time since 2012.
They now host Everton before traveling to Newcastle and then welcome Real Madrid in the Champions League with their season hanging by a thread.
“Today was the culmination of our problems,” said boss Klopp. “In a game like this it’s not allowed. You can criticize us, judge us and you are probably right. These first 12 minutes are not allowed.
“The start of the game was terrible. It was the opposite of what we should do. I can’t explain it, it can’t happen. We ourselves caused the problems. We do it in public, that’s why everyone can see.
“How can I not worry? I can’t sit here and I think we did well. The first 12 minutes are not allowed and we did it anyway.
“I don’t think they are at their best right now but I know how good they are. These things happen because we can’t help ourselves in this moment. I don’t lose faith in the boys but I see where we can improve.
“This makes the situation typical. At the moment it’s always if, if if.
“The team is not full of confidence, you can see that, but the first 12 minutes are about defending, being close and active. Do you need a lot of confidence in that? I’m not so sure.”
Matip turned Hwang Hee-chan’s cross into his own net after five minutes and it only got worse for the Reds.
Seven minutes later it was 2-0 when opener Dawson pounced on a loose ball after some terrible Liverpool defending before Alisson Becker denied Matheus Nunes.
Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah went close but the visitors, who at least improved after the break, were left to fend for themselves.
Half-hearted appeals for a penalty were ignored when the ball hit Max Kilman’s hand and Jose Sa saved from Nunez but Wolves held firm to end the game with 20 minutes remaining.
Joe Gomez and Stefan Bajcetic lost the ball and Adama Traore was sent scrambling to cross for Neves – as Wolves scored three goals in a game for the first time in 11 months.
“We got three important points and I think the players put in a big effort. But they’re only three points, we haven’t done anything yet,” boss Julen Lopetegui said after Wolves climbed back out of the relegation zone following Everton’s early 1-0 win over Arsenal.
“We have to keep looking at the next game. It is now to highlight all the players and even those who did not play today because it will be a task for the squad.
“In the second half Liverpool pushed a lot. They are one of the best teams in the world and you tend to suffer but we got a bit of control back. In the end we scored the third goal and more or less closed the game.
“We always want to start and continue to finish well. It’s not easy to keep it for the rest of the game, that’s why I think we suffered a lot. In the end we deserved to win.”