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Only a couple of weeks back, Liverpool seemed set to claim back-to-back Premier League championships and potentially a further Champions League crown. The team's capacity to win despite not optimal performances seemed like the hallmark of true champions.

But, then the momentum shifted. The Anfield side persisted with mediocre performances and began dropping points. Meanwhile, the North London club, known for their stubborn backline and strength in depth, began closing the distance at the top.

Defining a Crisis in Today's Game

Does a trio of straight defeats represent a crisis? As with many sporting discussions, it hinges entirely on your interpretation of the central term. Was the United midfielder elite? How do you define "world class" even signify? Is the Birmingham club a big club? What constitutes "major"? Are Manchester United returned to prominence? Alright, maybe that is one we can answer.

At a team of Liverpool's stature and last season's brilliance, a mini crisis seems a reasonable assessment. During a broadcast, ex- striker Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would cause panic. His answer was six. Currently, they are midway to that threshold.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Problems

One can observe obvious tactical issues. Assimilating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct skill set to departed key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Similarly, incorporating a talented attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical talent who improves those beside him, linking play effortlessly rather than forcing himself upon the game.

Additionally, a number of individuals who shone last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently below their best. In fact, the majority of the team is. Yet every one of them share one significant, recent experience: the tragic death of their colleague and companion, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Impact: Loss on the Field

We are now just more than three months since the devastating passing of their teammate. While the outside world progresses rapidly, shifting attention to other events, the club's squad continue going to work each day in the absence of their mate.

It is impossible to gauge how each player and staff member is coping on any given day. There is a great deal of speculation. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a recent match because he lacked energy. Or perhaps his performance level is down a small percentage points due to the fact he is grieving for his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a recent, drawing a parallel to his personal situation of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this season is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Particularly after Jota's tragedy. I went through a very similar 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 manager when you come to the training complex and you see daily that place empty. So you have to be incredibly resilient. And this is the reason why for me they are doing not good, even better than good. Because they are trying to handle a situation that is not easy."

As summarized well on a well-known supporter's show, the memory triggers are ongoing. The players are reminded by his chant in the first half, they see his unused peg in the changing room. In the middle of matches, a pass might be played and the realization arises: 'Ah, Diogo would have been there.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a matches ago, it signals that everything is far from normal.

The Limits of Punditry and Human Emotion

After reporting on football for twenty years, one comes to believe there is a fundamental superficiality in the majority of analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an player is feeling at any specific time and how that impacts their play. Jota's death is one of the clearest illustrations. We know a terrible thing occurred, and we understand the nature of grief. But further lies an intangible layer of effect on various individuals at the organization. It is very possible that some of the squad themselves do not fully grasp its effect from one day to the next.

How the media reports on this and how fans analyze displays is clearly not the most important thing. On a practical basis, mentioning Jota's death is challenging to do in a brief segment before transitioning to on-field issues. Beyond this particular tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface every criticism of a footballer with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their family relationships, personal struggles, or marital problems.

A former pro player, Nedum Onuoha, lately talked on radio about how his mother's passing halfway through his career affected his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he said. "Some of the high points and the lows that come with it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was many years into his profession; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Final Thought

Therefore, whatever Liverpool achieve in the coming months—be it success or if it's nothing—even if we don't mention it whenever we discuss their matches, and even if it is not the sole reason for their final outcome, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they suffered the loss of not merely a exceptional footballer, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a friend.