🔗 Share this article

Just a few weeks ago, the Merseyside club appeared set to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly a further Champions League trophy. Their ability to win without peak displays seemed like the hallmark of genuine champions.

However, then the momentum turned. The Anfield side continued with mediocre performances and began dropping matches. At the same time, the North London club, known for their resolute defense and strength in depth, started narrowing the distance at the summit.

Understanding a Slump in Today's Game

Can three consecutive losses constitute a collapse? As with many sporting discussions, it depends entirely on your definition of the key word. Is Paul Scholes world class? What does "elite" actually mean? Is the Birmingham club a big club? What constitutes "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Well, perhaps that is one we might answer.

At a team of Liverpool's size and last season's brilliance, a minor setback appears a fair description. During a radio show, 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.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Issues

One can observe clear tactical problems. Assimilating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different style to previous key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a challenge. Similarly, incorporating a talented 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 forcing himself upon the game.

Furthermore, 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 squad are. Yet every one of them have one significant, recent experience: the tragic death of their colleague and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Pitch

It has been just over three short months since the devastating loss of their friend. Although the outside world progresses rapidly, shifting focus to global events, Liverpool's players continue going to work day after day in the absence of their friend.

It is impossible to gauge how each individual and staff member is coping from one day to the next. There is a great deal of projection. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a recent match simply he was tired. But perhaps his performance level is down a small percentage points due to the fact he misses his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented eloquently before a fixture, drawing a parallel to his personal experience of the loss of a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are doing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after Jota's loss. I went through a very similar experience when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It's not easy for the players, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the coach when you arrive at the training ground and you find every day that spot empty. So you have to be very strong. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not well, even better than good. Because they are trying to deal with a problem that is not easy."

As summarized well on a popular fan podcast, 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 made and the thought arises: 'Oh, Jota would have been there.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it indicates that all is far from all right.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Human Emotion

After reporting on football for two decades, one comes to believe there is a fundamental superficiality in the majority of analysis. We simply cannot know how an individual is coping at any specific time and how that affects their play. Jota's passing is one of the clearest examples. We know a tragic event happened, and we comprehend the concept of grief. But further lies an immeasurable level of impact on different people at the club. It is highly likely that some of the players personally don't truly understand its effect from one moment to the next.

How the press covers this and how fans dissect displays is clearly far from the primary factor. On a functional level, mentioning Jota's passing is challenging to accomplish in a short segment before moving on to on-field concerns. Outside of this specific event and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface every criticism of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their family relationships, personal challenges, or marital difficulties.

A former pro footballer, Nedum Onuoha, recently spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's passing halfway through his playing days impacted his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he stated. "The high points and the lows that accompany it no longer felt the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three short months.

The Concluding Point

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool achieve this season—if it's something or failure—whether or not we omit reference to it every time we discuss their fixtures, even if it is not the sole reason for their eventual result, we must remember that a short time ago they lost not just a brilliant footballer, but, crucially, they said goodbye to a friend.