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Only a few weeks ago, Liverpool appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially a further Champions League trophy. The team's ability to secure victories without optimal performances felt like the mark of genuine champions.

However, subsequently the tide shifted. The Anfield side persisted with mediocre showings and started losing points. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute defense and squad depth, started closing the gap at the top.

Understanding a Crisis in Modern Football

Does three straight losses represent a crisis? Like most sporting discussions, it hinges entirely on your interpretation of the central word. Is Paul Scholes elite? How do you define "world class" even signify? Are Aston Villa a major club? What constitutes "major"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Well, maybe that is one we might answer.

For a club of Liverpool's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a minor crisis appears a reasonable description. On a recent radio show, ex- striker Neil Mellor was asked how many defeats in a row would trigger panic. His reply was six. Currently, they are halfway to that point.

Identifying the On-Pitch Problems

There are obvious footballing issues. Integrating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct skill set to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a challenge. Likewise, incorporating a talented attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Observers of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative player who improves those around him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Furthermore, a number of individuals who shone last campaign—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. Actually, most of the team is. Yet every one of them have one profound, recent event: the tragic death of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Grief on the Pitch

It has been just more than three short months since the devastating passing of their friend. Although the wider world progresses rapidly, shifting attention to other events, the club's players carry on going to work day after day in the absence of their friend.

This is impossible to gauge how each individual and staff member is coping on any given day. It requires a great deal of speculation. Perhaps Salah didn't track back in a recent match simply he lacked energy. Or perhaps his form is down a few per cent due to the fact he is grieving for his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a fixture, making a comparison to his own experience of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are performing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after the tragedy. I went through exactly the same thing when I was a player two decades past."

"It is difficult for the squad, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the coach when you arrive at the training complex and you see every day that place vacant. So you have to be incredibly resilient. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not good, even better than good. Because they are attempting to deal with a situation that is not easy."

Just as summarized succinctly on a popular fan podcast, the memory triggers are constant. The players are reminded by his song in the first half, they see his empty peg in the changing room. Even during games, a through ball might be played and the realization arises: 'Ah, Jota would have been there.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that all is far from all right.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

After reporting on football for two decades, one realizes there is a fundamental superficiality in most punditry. We genuinely do not know how an player is coping at any specific time and how that affects their performance. Jota's death is one of the clearest illustrations. We are aware a terrible event happened, and we understand the nature of grief. Beyond that lies an immeasurable level of effect on different people at the club. It is very possible that a few of the players personally do not truly grasp its effect from one day to the next.

The way the press reports on this and how fans analyze performances is obviously not the most important thing. On a practical basis, bringing up Jota's passing is difficult to accomplish in a short segment before moving on to tactical concerns. Outside of this specific tragedy and outside Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface every critique of a player with an acknowledgment that we know so little about their private circumstances—be it their family relationships, health challenges, or relationship problems.

An ex- professional footballer, Nedum Onuoha, lately spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's passing halfway through his career affected his passion for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "Some of the highs and the low points that accompany it no longer felt the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three months.

The Concluding Thought

So, whatever Liverpool achieve in the coming months—be it success or if it's nothing—whether or not we don't mention it every time we analyze their fixtures, and even if it isn't the reason for their final outcome, we should not forget that a short time ago they lost not just a exceptional player, but, crucially, they lost a friend.