🔗 Share this article

Only a couple of weeks back, the Merseyside club appeared set to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially another Champions League crown. The team's ability to secure victories without peak displays felt like the hallmark of genuine champions.

But, subsequently the momentum turned. The Anfield side persisted with average performances and started dropping matches. At the same time, the North London club, renowned for their stubborn defense and strength in depth, began narrowing the gap at the summit.

Defining a Slump in Today's Game

Can a trio of straight losses represent a crisis? Like most football debates, it hinges completely on your definition of the central word. Is Paul Scholes elite? What does "elite" actually signify? Is the Birmingham club a major club? What constitutes "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Alright, maybe that is a question we can answer.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a minor crisis appears a reasonable description. During a radio show, 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 particular threshold.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Issues

One can observe clear tactical issues. Integrating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different style to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a challenge. Similarly, incorporating a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a technical player who elevates those around him, connecting play seamlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Additionally, a number of players who excelled last campaign—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently below their best. Actually, most of the team is. Yet every one of them have one significant, recent experience: the passing of their teammate and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Field

It has been just over three short months since the tragic passing of their friend. Although the wider world moves on rapidly, diverting focus to global events, Liverpool's squad continue going to work day after day without their friend.

It is not possible to know how each player and member of the backroom team is dealing on any given day. There is a significant amount of projection. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a particular match because he was tired. Or perhaps his performance level is down a few percentage points because he is grieving for his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a recent, drawing a comparison to his personal experience of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this campaign is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the loss. I lived exactly the same 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 arrive at the training ground and you find daily that place vacant. So you have to be incredibly resilient. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not well, even better than good. Because they are attempting to deal with a problem that is not easy."

Just as explained well on a popular fan podcast, the reminders are ongoing. The players are reminded by his song in the 20th minute, they notice his empty peg in the dressing room. Even during games, a pass might be played and the thought arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have reached that.' When the Egyptian showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that everything is far from all right.

The Boundaries of Punditry and Personal Grief

After reporting on football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a fundamental lack of depth in the majority of punditry. We genuinely cannot know how an player is coping at any specific moment and how that impacts their performance. Jota's passing is one of the most stark examples. We are aware a tragic event happened, and we understand the concept of sorrow. Beyond that lies an intangible level of effect on various people at the organization. It is highly likely that a few of the squad themselves do not truly understand its effect from one day to the next.

The way the media reports on this and how supporters analyze performances is obviously far from the most important thing. On a functional basis, bringing up Jota's passing is challenging to accomplish in a brief segment before transitioning to tactical concerns. Outside of this particular tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify each criticism of a footballer with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their family situation, health struggles, or marital problems.

A former professional player, the defender, lately talked on a broadcast about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days impacted his passion for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "Some of the highs and the lows that come with it no longer felt the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three short months.

The Final Thought

Therefore, whatever Liverpool achieve in the coming months—be it success or if it's nothing—even if we omit reference to it every time we discuss their matches, even if it is not the sole reason for their eventual outcome, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they suffered the loss of not just a exceptional player, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a friend.