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Just a couple of weeks back, the Merseyside club appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly a further Champions League trophy. Their ability to win without optimal performances seemed like the mark of genuine title-winners.

But, subsequently the momentum shifted. The Anfield side continued with average performances and began dropping matches. At the same time, Arsenal, known for their stubborn backline and strength in depth, began narrowing the distance at the summit.

Understanding a Crisis in Modern Football

Can three consecutive defeats represent a collapse? Like many sporting discussions, it hinges entirely on your definition of the central word. Is Paul Scholes world class? What does "elite" even signify? Are Aston Villa a big club? What defines "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Alright, maybe that's a question we might settle.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a mini crisis appears a fair description. During a broadcast, former forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would cause panic. His reply was six. At present, they are midway to that particular point.

Identifying the On-Pitch Problems

One can observe obvious footballing 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, presents a difficulty. Likewise, blending in a talented attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative talent who elevates those beside him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Furthermore, a host of players who excelled last campaign—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now underperforming. Actually, the majority of the squad is. And every one of them have one significant, recent event: the tragic death of their colleague and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Loss on the Field

We are now just more than three short months since the tragic passing of their teammate. While the outside world moves on rapidly, diverting focus to global events, Liverpool's squad carry on going to work each day without their mate.

It is not possible to know how every individual and member of the backroom team is coping on any given day. There is a significant amount of speculation. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a recent match because he lacked energy. Or perhaps his performance level is down a small per cent because he is grieving for his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully 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 season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the loss. I went through exactly the same thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It is difficult for the squad, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the coach when you arrive at the training ground and you see daily that spot vacant. So you must be incredibly resilient. And this is the explanation why for me they are doing not good, even better than good. Because they are attempting to handle a situation that is not easy."

Just as summarized succinctly on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are ongoing. They hear his song in the 20th minute, they notice his unused peg in the changing room. In the middle of matches, a through ball might be made and the realization arises: 'Ah, Jota would have reached that.' When the Egyptian showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it indicates that everything is far from all right.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Human Emotion

Having covering football for two decades, one realizes there is a fundamental superficiality in the majority of punditry. We simply do not know how an individual is coping at any specific moment and how that affects their play. Jota's death is one of the clearest illustrations. We are aware a tragic thing happened, and we comprehend the nature of grief. But further lies an immeasurable level of effect on different individuals at the club. It is highly likely that some of the squad themselves do not fully grasp its influence from one moment to the next.

How the press covers this and how fans analyze displays is clearly not the primary thing. On a functional level, mentioning Jota's passing is challenging to do in a short soundbite before transitioning to on-field issues. Outside of this particular event and outside Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify each criticism of a player with an admission that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their family situation, personal challenges, or relationship problems.

A former professional footballer, Nedum Onuoha, lately spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's death halfway through his career affected his love for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he stated. "Some of the high points and the lows that accompany it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three months.

The Final Thought

So, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—be it success or failure—whether or not we don't mention it whenever we analyze their fixtures, even if it isn't the cause for their final outcome, we must remember that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not merely a brilliant footballer, but, crucially, they lost a dear friend.