The Reds' Recent Difficulties: How Diogo Jota's Absence Continues to Affect the Team

Only a few weeks back, the Merseyside club seemed set to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly a further Champions League trophy. Their capacity to secure victories without peak displays seemed like the mark of true champions.

But, subsequently the momentum turned. Liverpool persisted with mediocre showings and started losing matches. At the same time, the North London club, renowned for their stubborn backline and strength in depth, started closing the gap at the top.

Understanding a Crisis in Modern Football

Does three straight defeats represent a crisis? As with many sporting discussions, it depends completely on your interpretation of the central term. Was the United midfielder world class? How do you define "elite" actually signify? Is the Birmingham club a big club? What defines "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that is a question we can answer.

At a team of Liverpool's size and last season's brilliance, a minor setback appears a reasonable description. On a recent radio show, ex- forward Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would cause alarm. His answer was six. At present, they are midway to that threshold.

Pinpointing the Tactical Problems

There are obvious tactical issues. Assimilating new additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different style to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Similarly, blending in a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative talent who improves those beside him, connecting play seamlessly 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 below their best. Actually, the majority of the team is. And every one of them share one significant, fresh experience: the passing of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Grief on the Field

It has been just more than three short months since the devastating passing of their teammate. While the outside world moves on quickly, diverting focus to global events, Liverpool's players continue training and playing each day in the absence of their mate.

This is not possible to gauge how each player and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. It requires a great deal of projection. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a recent match because he lacked energy. Or perhaps his form is down a few per cent due to the fact he misses his friend.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke eloquently before a recent, drawing a parallel to his personal experience of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "How they are doing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's loss. I went through exactly the same thing 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 come to the training ground and you see daily that spot vacant. So you have to be incredibly resilient. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not well, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to deal with a problem that is not easy."

As explained succinctly on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are ongoing. The players hear his song in the first half, they notice his unused locker in the changing room. In the middle of games, a through ball might be made and the thought arises: 'Oh, Jota would have been there.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a few games ago, it indicates that all is not normal.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Human Emotion

Having covering football for twenty years, one realizes there is a inherent superficiality in most analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an individual is coping at any specific time and how that impacts their play. Jota's passing is one of the clearest examples. We are aware a terrible event occurred, and we comprehend the concept of grief. But further lies an intangible level of effect on different people at the club. It is highly likely that some of the squad personally do not fully grasp its effect from one day to the next.

The way the media reports on this and how fans dissect performances is clearly far from the primary thing. On a practical level, bringing up Jota's passing is difficult to accomplish in a brief soundbite before transitioning to on-field issues. Beyond this particular event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface every criticism of a player with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their personal lives—be it their parental situation, personal struggles, or relationship problems.

An ex- pro footballer, the defender, lately talked on radio about how his mother's passing halfway through his playing days impacted his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "Some of the high points and the low points that come with it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three months.

The Final Point

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool achieve this season—if it's something or if it's nothing—even if we omit reference to it whenever we discuss their fixtures, and even if it is not the sole cause for their final outcome, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they lost not just a exceptional footballer, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a friend.