Liverpool's Current Struggles: How Diogo Jota's Loss Impacts the Squad

Only a few weeks back, the Merseyside club appeared set to secure back-to-back Premier League titles and potentially another Champions League trophy. The team's ability to secure victories despite not peak performances felt like the mark of genuine title-winners.

But, then the momentum shifted. Liverpool persisted with mediocre performances and began dropping matches. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their stubborn defense and squad depth, started narrowing the gap at the summit.

Understanding a Crisis in Today's Game

Can three straight defeats constitute a crisis? Like most sporting discussions, it hinges entirely on your definition of the central term. Is Paul Scholes elite? What does "world class" even mean? Is the Birmingham club a big team? What defines "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Alright, perhaps that's a question we might answer.

At a team of this club's stature and last season's excellence, a minor setback appears a fair assessment. On a recent broadcast, ex- forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many losses in a row would cause alarm. His reply was six. At present, they are halfway to that particular point.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Problems

There are clear tactical problems. Assimilating recent signings like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a distinct style to departed key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, creates a difficulty. Likewise, blending in a gifted attacking midfielder like Florian Wirtz has reportedly unbalanced the engine room. Experts of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a technical player who elevates those beside him, linking play seamlessly rather than imposing himself upon the game.

Additionally, 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. In fact, most of the squad are. And every one of them have one significant, recent experience: the passing of their teammate and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Unseen Effect: Grief on the Pitch

We are now just over three short months since the devastating loss of their teammate. While the outside world progresses rapidly, diverting attention to global events, Liverpool's players continue training and playing day after day without their friend.

This is not possible to know how each individual and staff member is dealing on any given day. It requires a great deal of speculation. Maybe Salah didn't track back in a recent match simply he lacked energy. Or perhaps his performance level is down a few percentage points due to the fact he is grieving for his pal.

Chelsea's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented insightfully before a fixture, drawing a comparison to his own experience of losing a teammate, Antonio Puerta, when at Sevilla. "The way they are doing this season is remarkable," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after Jota's tragedy. I went through a very similar thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It is difficult for the players, it's not easy for the club, it's not easy for the coach when you arrive at the training ground and you find daily that place vacant. So you have to be incredibly resilient. And this is the explanation why for me they are performing not good, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to handle a situation that is not easy."

Just as explained well on a popular fan podcast, the reminders are constant. The players are reminded by his chant in the first half, they notice his unused locker in the dressing room. In the middle of games, a through ball might be played and the realization arises: 'Oh, Jota would have reached that.' If Salah was seen crying in front of the Kop a matches ago, it indicates that all is not all right.

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 do not know how an player is feeling at any given moment and how that impacts their play. Jota's death is one of the clearest examples. We are aware a tragic event occurred, and we comprehend the nature of grief. Beyond that lies an immeasurable level of effect on various individuals at the club. It is very possible that a few of the squad personally do not truly grasp its effect from one moment to the next.

How the media reports on this and how fans dissect displays is obviously not the most important thing. On a functional basis, mentioning Jota's passing is challenging to do in a brief segment before transitioning to on-field issues. Outside of this specific tragedy and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to preface each criticism of a footballer with an admission that we know so little about their personal lives—be it their family situation, personal struggles, or marital difficulties.

A former pro footballer, Nedum Onuoha, lately spoke on radio about how his mother's passing midway through his career affected his passion for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he stated. "Some of the high points and the lows that accompany it no longer felt the same after that." And that was half a career; for Liverpool and Jota, it has been just three short months.

The Concluding Point

Therefore, whatever Liverpool accomplish 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 reason for their eventual outcome, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they lost not just a exceptional player, but, more importantly, they lost a friend.