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Just a few weeks back, the Merseyside club seemed destined to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially a further Champions League trophy. Their ability to secure victories despite not optimal displays felt like the hallmark of genuine title-winners.

However, subsequently the tide shifted. The Anfield side continued with average showings and started dropping points. At the same time, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute defense and squad depth, began narrowing the gap at the summit.

Understanding a Crisis in Today's Game

Can a trio of consecutive losses represent a collapse? As with most football debates, it hinges completely on your definition of the central term. Was the United midfielder world class? What does "elite" actually mean? Is the Birmingham club a major club? What constitutes "big"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that's a question we can settle.

At a team of Liverpool's size and last season's excellence, a minor crisis appears a fair assessment. On a recent broadcast, ex- striker Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would trigger alarm. His answer was six. Currently, they are halfway to that threshold.

Identifying the Tactical Problems

One can observe clear tactical issues. Assimilating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different skill set to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Similarly, blending in a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative player who elevates those beside him, connecting play effortlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Additionally, a host of individuals who shone last season—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now underperforming. Actually, the majority of the team are. And every one of them share one significant, recent event: the passing of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Impact: Grief on the Pitch

It has been just more than three short months since the devastating passing of their teammate. While the outside world progresses rapidly, shifting attention to global matters, the club's players carry on going to work day after day without their friend.

This is not possible to gauge how every player and staff member is dealing on any given day. There is a significant amount of speculation. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a recent match simply he was tired. But perhaps his form is down a few per cent because he is grieving for his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a recent, drawing a comparison to his personal experience of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this campaign is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the loss. I went through exactly the same thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It's not easy for the squad, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the manager when you arrive at the training complex and you see daily that place empty. So you must be incredibly resilient. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to handle a situation that is not easy."

Just as explained well on a well-known supporter's show, the memory triggers are ongoing. They are reminded by his chant in the 20th minute, they see his empty peg in the changing room. In the middle of matches, a through ball might be played and the realization arises: 'Ah, Jota would have been there.' When the Egyptian was seen crying in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that everything is not normal.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

After reporting on football for twenty years, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality in most analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an individual is coping at any given time and how that affects their play. Jota's death is one of the clearest illustrations. We know a tragic event occurred, and we comprehend the nature of sorrow. But further lies an immeasurable layer of impact on various individuals at the organization. It is highly likely that a few of the players personally do not truly grasp its effect from one day to the next.

The way the press covers this and how supporters dissect displays is obviously not the most important thing. On a practical level, mentioning Jota's passing is challenging to accomplish in a brief segment before transitioning to on-field issues. Beyond this specific tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to preface each critique of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their family situation, health challenges, or relationship difficulties.

A former pro player, Nedum Onuoha, recently talked on a broadcast about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days impacted his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy 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 Final Thought

So, whatever Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—be it success or failure—even if we omit reference to it whenever we discuss their matches, even if it isn't the cause for their final outcome, we must remember that a few weeks ago they lost not just a exceptional player, but, more importantly, they lost a friend.