The Reds' Recent Difficulties: The Ways Diogo Jota's Loss Continues to Affect the Team

Just a couple of weeks back, the Merseyside club appeared set to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly a further Champions League trophy. Their ability to secure victories despite not peak performances felt like the mark of true title-winners.

But, then the tide turned. The Anfield side persisted with mediocre performances and started dropping matches. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute defense and squad depth, started narrowing the gap at the top.

Understanding a Crisis in Modern Football

Does three consecutive defeats constitute a crisis? Like most football debates, it hinges entirely on your definition of the central term. Was the United midfielder elite? What does "world class" actually signify? Is the Birmingham club a major team? What constitutes "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Alright, perhaps that is one we can answer.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and last season's brilliance, a mini setback appears a reasonable assessment. On a recent broadcast, ex- striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would cause panic. His answer was six. Currently, they are midway to that threshold.

Identifying the On-Pitch Issues

There are obvious tactical issues. Assimilating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct skill set to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Similarly, blending in a talented attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical player who improves those beside him, linking play effortlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Furthermore, a host of individuals who excelled last season—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently below their best. In fact, the majority of the team is. And they all have one profound, recent event: the tragic death of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Impact: Loss on the Field

We are now just over three months since the tragic passing of their friend. While the outside world moves on rapidly, shifting attention to global matters, the club's players carry on going to work day after day in the absence of their mate.

This is impossible to know how each player and member of the backroom team is dealing from one day to the next. It requires a great deal of projection. Perhaps Salah didn't track back in a recent match simply he lacked energy. But maybe his form is down a small per cent because he is grieving for his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a fixture, making a parallel to his personal situation of losing a teammate, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after Jota's loss. I lived a very similar thing when I was a player two decades past."

"It is difficult for the squad, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the coach when you come to the training complex and you find daily that spot vacant. So you have to be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not well, even better than good. Because they are attempting to handle a problem that is not easy."

As summarized succinctly on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are constant. They are reminded by his chant in the 20th minute, they notice his unused locker in the dressing room. In the middle of matches, a through ball might be made and the thought arises: 'Oh, Diogo would have reached that.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that all is far from all right.

The Boundaries of Punditry and Human Emotion

After reporting on football for twenty years, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality in most punditry. We genuinely cannot know how an player is feeling at any specific moment and how that impacts their play. Jota's death is one of the most stark illustrations. We are aware a tragic thing occurred, and we comprehend the concept of grief. But further lies an immeasurable layer of impact on different individuals at the club. It is very possible that a few of the squad personally do not fully grasp its influence from one moment to the next.

How the press covers this and how fans analyze displays is obviously not the most important factor. On a functional basis, bringing up Jota's passing is difficult to accomplish in a short segment before moving on to on-field concerns. Outside of this specific event and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify every criticism of a player with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their family relationships, personal struggles, or marital problems.

A former pro player, Nedum Onuoha, recently talked on a broadcast about how his mother's death midway through his career affected his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "Some of the highs and the lows that come with it no longer felt the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three short months.

The Concluding Thought

Therefore, whatever Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—be it success or if it's nothing—whether or not we don't mention it every time we discuss their matches, and even if it isn't the reason for their final outcome, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they lost not merely a brilliant footballer, but, crucially, they lost a friend.