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Only a few weeks ago, the Merseyside club seemed destined to secure back-to-back Premier League titles and possibly another Champions League trophy. Their capacity to win without optimal displays felt like the hallmark of true champions.

But, subsequently the momentum turned. Liverpool continued with average performances and started dropping points. At the same time, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute backline and squad depth, began narrowing the gap at the top.

Understanding a Crisis in Today's Game

Can three consecutive defeats represent a collapse? As with many sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your definition of the central term. Was the United midfielder world class? How do you define "world class" actually signify? Are Aston Villa a big team? What defines "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit returned to prominence? Well, maybe that is one we can answer.

For a club of this club's size and previous campaign's brilliance, a minor setback appears a reasonable assessment. During a broadcast, former striker Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would cause alarm. His reply was six. At present, they are halfway to that particular point.

Identifying the On-Pitch Problems

There are clear tactical issues. Integrating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct style to departed stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Similarly, incorporating a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a creative talent who elevates those beside him, linking play seamlessly rather than forcing himself on the game.

Furthermore, a number of players who excelled last campaign—including 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 profound, recent event: the passing of their colleague and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Impact: Loss on the Field

It has been just more than three months since the devastating loss of their friend. While the wider world progresses rapidly, shifting focus to global matters, Liverpool's players carry on going to work day after day in the absence of their friend.

This is not possible to gauge how every player and member of the backroom team is coping from one day to the next. There is a great deal of projection. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a particular match simply he lacked energy. Or perhaps his form is down a small percentage points due to the fact he is grieving for his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, spoke insightfully before a fixture, making a parallel to his personal experience of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are performing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the tragedy. I went through a very similar thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It's not easy 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 empty. So you must be very strong. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to deal with a problem that is not easy."

Just as explained succinctly on a popular supporter's show, the reminders are ongoing. The players hear his chant in the 20th minute, they notice his unused peg in the dressing room. Even during matches, a pass might be made and the realization arises: 'Oh, Jota would have reached that.' When the Egyptian was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that all is not normal.

The Limits of Punditry and Human Emotion

After reporting on football for two decades, one realizes there is a inherent lack of depth in the majority of analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an player is feeling at any specific moment and how that impacts their play. Jota's death is one of the most stark illustrations. We know a tragic thing occurred, and we understand the concept of grief. Beyond that lies an intangible layer of effect on different individuals at the organization. It is very possible that a few of the players themselves do not truly grasp its influence from one moment to the next.

How the media reports on this and how fans dissect performances is obviously not the most important thing. On a practical basis, mentioning Jota's passing is challenging to do in a short segment before transitioning to on-field concerns. Beyond this specific event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem strange to qualify each critique of a footballer with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their family relationships, health struggles, or marital problems.

A former professional footballer, the defender, lately spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days affected his love for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he said. "The highs and the lows that come with it no longer felt the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three short months.

The Final Thought

Therefore, regardless of what Liverpool achieve in the coming months—be it success or failure—whether or not we omit reference to it every time we analyze their fixtures, even if it is not the sole cause for their final result, we should not forget that a short time ago they lost not just a brilliant player, but, more importantly, they said goodbye to a friend.