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Just a couple of weeks ago, the Merseyside club appeared destined to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially a further Champions League crown. The team's capacity to secure victories without optimal displays felt like the mark of true title-winners.

However, subsequently the tide turned. The Anfield side persisted with mediocre showings and began dropping matches. At the same time, the North London club, renowned for their resolute defense and squad depth, started closing the gap at the top.

Understanding a Slump in Today's Game

Can three straight losses constitute a crisis? As with most sporting discussions, it depends completely on your definition of the key word. Is Paul Scholes world class? What does "elite" actually mean? Is the Birmingham club a big team? What constitutes "major"? Are Manchester United back? Well, perhaps that is a question we might answer.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a mini crisis appears a fair assessment. On a recent radio show, ex- forward Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would trigger alarm. His reply was six. Currently, they are midway to that particular point.

Pinpointing the Tactical Problems

One can observe clear tactical issues. Assimilating recent additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct style to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a challenge. Similarly, blending in a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative talent who elevates those beside him, connecting play effortlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a number of individuals who excelled last season—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now underperforming. In fact, the majority of the team is. And every one of them have one profound, recent event: the tragic death of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Loss on the Pitch

We are now just over three short months since the devastating loss of their teammate. Although the wider world progresses rapidly, shifting focus to global matters, Liverpool's squad carry on going to work day after day in the absence of their mate.

It is impossible to know how each player and staff member is dealing on any given day. There is a significant amount of projection. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a particular match simply he was tired. But perhaps his performance level is down a small percentage points because he misses his friend.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented eloquently before a recent, making a parallel to his own experience of losing a teammate, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this season is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after Jota's loss. I lived a very similar experience when I was a player two decades past."

"It's not easy for the squad, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the coach when you arrive at the training complex and you find daily that place empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not well, but exceptionally well. Because they are trying to handle a problem that is not easy."

As explained well on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are ongoing. They hear his song in the 20th minute, they see 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 been there.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it signals that all is far from normal.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

Having reporting on football for twenty years, one comes to believe there is a fundamental lack of depth in the majority of analysis. We simply do not know how an player is coping at any given moment and how that affects their performance. Jota's death is one of the most stark illustrations. We know a terrible event occurred, and we understand the concept of grief. Beyond that lies an intangible layer of effect on various people at the organization. It is highly likely that a few of the squad themselves do not truly grasp its influence from one day to the next.

How the media covers this and how fans dissect displays is obviously far from the most important factor. On a practical basis, mentioning Jota's death is difficult to accomplish in a short soundbite before moving on to on-field issues. Beyond this particular tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify every criticism of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their parental situation, health challenges, or relationship problems.

An ex- pro footballer, 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 high points and the low points that accompany it didn't really feel the same after that." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three months.

The Final Thought

So, regardless of what Liverpool accomplish in the coming months—if it's something or if it's nothing—even if we omit reference to it whenever we analyze their matches, even if it is not the sole cause for their final result, we must remember that a short time ago they suffered the loss of not merely a exceptional player, but, more importantly, they lost a friend.