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Just a few weeks ago, the Merseyside club appeared set to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly a further Champions League crown. Their capacity to secure victories without peak displays felt like the mark of genuine title-winners.

However, then the momentum turned. The Anfield side persisted with average showings and began dropping points. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute defense and squad depth, began narrowing the distance at the summit.

Understanding a Crisis in Today's Game

Does three consecutive defeats represent a crisis? As with most sporting discussions, it hinges entirely on your interpretation of the key word. Is Paul Scholes world class? What does "elite" actually signify? Is the Birmingham club a major club? What constitutes "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Well, perhaps that is a question we might answer.

For a club of Liverpool's stature and last season's brilliance, a mini crisis appears a reasonable description. On a recent broadcast, former striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would cause alarm. His reply was six. At present, they are midway to that threshold.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Issues

One can observe obvious tactical problems. Integrating recent additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different skill set to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Likewise, blending in a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative talent who elevates those around him, linking play effortlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, a number of players who shone last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. In fact, most of the squad is. And they all have one significant, recent experience: the passing of their colleague and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Field

It has been just over three months since the tragic loss of their teammate. While the outside world moves on rapidly, diverting attention to global matters, Liverpool's squad carry on training and playing day after day in the absence of their friend.

This is not possible to know how each player and staff member is coping on any given day. It requires a significant amount of speculation. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a recent match because he lacked energy. Or maybe his performance level is down a small percentage points due to the fact he misses his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a recent, drawing a comparison to his personal situation of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the tragedy. I lived a very similar experience 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 come to the training complex and you find daily that spot empty. So you must be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to deal with a problem that is not easy."

Just as summarized succinctly on a well-known fan podcast, the reminders are ongoing. They hear his song in the first half, they notice his unused peg in the changing room. Even during matches, a pass might be made and the realization arises: 'Oh, Diogo would have reached that.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it signals that everything is not all right.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Human Emotion

After reporting on football for twenty years, one realizes there is a fundamental lack of depth in most analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an player is coping at any given time and how that affects their performance. Jota's death is one of the clearest illustrations. We are aware a tragic thing occurred, and we comprehend the concept of sorrow. But further lies an immeasurable level of effect on various people at the organization. It is highly likely that some of the players themselves don't truly understand its influence from one day to the next.

How the press covers this and how fans analyze displays is clearly not the most important factor. On a practical level, bringing up Jota's passing is challenging to accomplish in a brief segment before transitioning to tactical issues. Beyond this specific tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify every critique of a footballer with an admission that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their family relationships, personal challenges, or marital difficulties.

A former professional player, the defender, recently spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days affected his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he said. "Some of the high points and the low points that come with it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Concluding Thought

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool achieve 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 is not the sole cause for their eventual result, we must remember that a short time ago they lost not merely a brilliant player, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a friend.