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Just a couple of weeks ago, Liverpool appeared destined to claim back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially a further Champions League trophy. Their capacity to win without optimal performances felt like the mark of genuine champions.

However, then the momentum shifted. The Anfield side persisted with mediocre performances and started dropping matches. At the same time, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute defense and squad depth, began closing the gap at the top.

Understanding a Slump in Today's Game

Does three straight losses constitute a collapse? Like many sporting discussions, it hinges completely on your definition of the central word. Is Paul Scholes elite? What does "world class" even mean? Is the Birmingham club a big club? What defines "big"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Well, maybe that is a question we can settle.

For a club of Liverpool's size and last season's excellence, a mini setback seems a reasonable description. On a recent radio show, ex- striker Neil Mellor was asked how many losses in a row would trigger panic. His reply was six. At present, they are halfway to that particular point.

Identifying the On-Pitch Issues

There are clear footballing problems. Assimilating new signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct skill set to previous stalwarts Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a difficulty. Likewise, incorporating a gifted playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the midfield. Experts of the Bundesliga point out that Wirtz is a technical talent who improves those beside him, linking play effortlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a number of individuals who excelled last campaign—including Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are currently underperforming. Actually, the majority of the team are. And they all have one significant, recent experience: the tragic death of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Impact: Loss on the Field

We are now just over three short months since the tragic loss of their friend. While the wider world moves on rapidly, diverting attention to global matters, Liverpool's squad continue training and playing each day in the absence of their mate.

It is not possible to know how each player and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. There is a great deal of speculation. Maybe Salah failed to defend in a particular match simply he was tired. Or maybe his form is down a few percentage points because he misses his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a recent, drawing a comparison to his own situation of losing a fellow player, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "How they are doing this campaign is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the loss. 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 organization, it's not easy for the coach when you come to the training ground and you find every day that spot empty. 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 explained well on a well-known fan podcast, the memory triggers are constant. The players are reminded by his chant in the first half, they notice his empty locker in the dressing room. In the middle of matches, a pass might be played and the realization arises: 'Oh, Jota would have been there.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it signals that all is far from normal.

The Boundaries of Football Analysis and Human Emotion

Having reporting on football for twenty years, one realizes there is a inherent lack of depth in the majority of analysis. We genuinely cannot know how an player is coping at any given time and how that impacts their play. Jota's passing is one of the clearest examples. We know a terrible thing happened, and we understand the concept of sorrow. But further lies an intangible layer of impact on various individuals at the organization. It is highly likely that some of the squad personally do not fully understand its influence from one moment to the next.

How the media reports on this and how fans analyze displays is obviously far from the primary thing. On a functional level, bringing up Jota's passing is challenging to do in a brief soundbite before moving on to tactical concerns. Outside of this specific event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify every critique of a footballer with an admission that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their parental situation, health struggles, or marital difficulties.

An ex- professional player, Nedum Onuoha, lately spoke on a broadcast about how his mother's passing midway through his playing days impacted his love for the game. "I lost some joy in football as much," he stated. "Some of the highs and the lows that accompany it didn't really feel the same any more." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been only three months.

The Concluding Point

So, whatever Liverpool accomplish this season—if it's something or if it's nothing—even if we omit reference to it whenever we analyze their fixtures, even if it is not the sole cause for their final result, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they suffered the loss of not merely a exceptional player, but, more importantly, they lost a friend.