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Just a few weeks back, the Merseyside club appeared set to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly a further Champions League trophy. Their capacity to win despite not peak performances seemed like the hallmark of genuine title-winners.

But, then the tide shifted. Liverpool continued with average showings and started dropping points. Meanwhile, Arsenal, known for their stubborn defense and strength in depth, began closing the gap at the summit.

Understanding a Crisis in Modern Football

Does a trio of straight defeats constitute a crisis? Like most sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your interpretation of the central term. Is Paul Scholes world class? What does "world class" actually signify? Are Aston Villa a big club? What constitutes "major"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that's one we might settle.

At a team of this club's stature and previous campaign's excellence, a minor setback seems a reasonable description. On a recent broadcast, former striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would trigger alarm. His reply was six. Currently, they are midway to that particular threshold.

Identifying the Tactical Problems

One can observe obvious tactical issues. Integrating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct skill set to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Similarly, incorporating a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative player who elevates those around him, connecting play seamlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Additionally, a number of individuals who shone last campaign—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. In fact, the majority of the squad are. Yet every one of them have one significant, fresh experience: the passing of their colleague and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Field

We are now just over three short months since the tragic loss of their teammate. Although the wider world moves on quickly, diverting focus to other matters, the club's players continue going to work day after day without their mate.

It is impossible to know how each player and staff member is coping from one day to the next. It requires a great deal of projection. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a recent match because he lacked energy. Or perhaps his performance level is down a few percentage points due to the fact he misses his friend.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a recent, drawing a parallel to his personal situation of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are doing this campaign is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the loss. I went through a very similar experience when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It is difficult for the players, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the manager when you come to the training ground and you see daily that place empty. So you must be incredibly resilient. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to handle a problem that is not easy."

Just as summarized well on a well-known fan podcast, the reminders are ongoing. They are reminded by his chant in the first half, they notice his empty locker in the changing room. Even during matches, a pass might be made and the realization arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have reached that.' When the Egyptian was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it signals that all is not all right.

The Limits of Punditry and Personal Grief

After covering football for two decades, one realizes there is a inherent lack of depth in most analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an individual is feeling at any given moment and how that impacts their performance. Jota's death is one of the clearest examples. We are aware a terrible event happened, and we understand the nature of sorrow. Beyond that lies an intangible layer of impact on various people at the club. It is highly likely that a few of the players themselves do not truly grasp its influence from one day to the next.

The way the press reports on this and how fans dissect displays is clearly not the primary thing. On a practical level, bringing up Jota's death is challenging to do in a short soundbite before transitioning to tactical issues. Beyond this particular event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface every critique of a footballer with an admission that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their parental situation, personal struggles, or relationship problems.

An ex- pro player, the defender, recently spoke on radio about how his mother's passing halfway through his career impacted his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "Some of the high points and the low points that come with it didn't really feel the same after that." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three months.

The Concluding Thought

Therefore, whatever Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—be it success or if it's nothing—even if we omit reference to it whenever we analyze their fixtures, even if it isn't the reason for their final result, we must remember that a short time ago they lost not merely a exceptional footballer, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a friend.