🔗 Share this article

Only a few weeks ago, Liverpool seemed set to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially another Champions League crown. The team's capacity to win without peak displays seemed like the hallmark of genuine champions.

However, then the tide turned. The Anfield side persisted with average performances and started dropping points. Meanwhile, Arsenal, known for their stubborn backline and squad depth, began narrowing the distance at the summit.

Defining a Slump in Today's Game

Can a trio of straight losses constitute a collapse? Like most football debates, it hinges completely on your interpretation of the central word. Is Paul Scholes world class? What does "elite" even mean? Is the Birmingham club a major team? What constitutes "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that is one we can settle.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and last season's brilliance, a mini crisis seems a reasonable assessment. During a radio show, former striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would trigger panic. His answer was six. Currently, they are halfway to that threshold.

Identifying the Tactical Issues

There are obvious footballing problems. Integrating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different style to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Similarly, blending in a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative player who improves those beside him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself upon the game.

Additionally, a number of players who excelled last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. In fact, the majority of the team is. And every one of them have one significant, recent event: the tragic death of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Loss on the Field

We are now just more than three short months since the devastating passing of their friend. While the outside world progresses rapidly, diverting attention to other matters, Liverpool's squad carry on going to work day after day in the absence of their friend.

This is impossible to know how each individual and staff member is dealing on any given day. There is a great deal of projection. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a recent match because he was tired. Or maybe his form is down a small percentage points due to the fact he misses his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a fixture, making a comparison to his personal situation of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "How they are performing this campaign is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's loss. I went through exactly the same thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the manager when you arrive at the training ground and you find every day that spot vacant. So you must 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 summarized well on a popular supporter's show, the memory triggers are ongoing. They are reminded by his chant in the 20th minute, they notice his unused locker in the dressing room. Even during games, a pass might be made and the realization arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have reached that.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it indicates that everything is not normal.

The Boundaries of Punditry and Personal Grief

Having covering football for twenty years, one comes to believe there is a inherent lack of depth in most analysis. We simply cannot know how an player is coping at any given moment and how that affects their play. Jota's passing is one of the clearest examples. We know a terrible thing happened, and we comprehend the concept of grief. But further lies an immeasurable level of effect on different individuals at the club. It is very possible that some of the squad personally don't truly understand its influence from one day to the next.

The way the press reports on this and how supporters analyze performances is obviously far from the primary factor. On a practical level, mentioning Jota's death is difficult to do in a brief segment before transitioning to tactical concerns. Outside of this specific tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface each criticism of a player with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their family situation, personal struggles, or marital problems.

A former professional player, Nedum Onuoha, recently spoke on radio about how his mother's death midway through his playing days impacted his passion for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he said. "The highs and the lows that accompany it didn't really feel 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—if it's something or if it's nothing—even if we don't mention it whenever we analyze their matches, 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 just a brilliant player, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a dear friend.