Liverpool's Current Difficulties: The Ways Diogo Jota's Loss Impacts the Squad

Only a few weeks ago, the Merseyside club appeared set to secure back-to-back Premier League championships and possibly a further Champions League crown. Their ability to win despite not peak performances seemed like the mark of true title-winners.

But, subsequently the momentum shifted. The Anfield side persisted with mediocre showings and started losing points. Meanwhile, Arsenal, renowned for their resolute defense and strength in depth, started narrowing the gap at the top.

Defining a Crisis in Today's Game

Does three straight defeats represent a crisis? Like many football debates, it hinges entirely on your interpretation of the key word. Is Paul Scholes elite? How do you define "world class" even mean? Are Aston Villa a major team? What defines "major"? Is the Old Trafford outfit back? Alright, perhaps that is one we can settle.

For a club of this club's stature and previous campaign's brilliance, a minor setback appears a reasonable description. On a recent radio show, ex- forward Neil Mellor was questioned how many defeats in a row would trigger panic. His answer was six. At present, they are halfway to that threshold.

Pinpointing the On-Pitch Problems

There are clear footballing issues. Assimilating recent additions like Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who provide a different skill set to previous key players Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold, presents a challenge. Likewise, blending in a talented playmaker like Florian Wirtz has reportedly disrupted the engine room. Observers of the Bundesliga note that Wirtz is a creative talent who improves those around him, connecting play effortlessly rather than imposing himself on the game.

Additionally, a host of individuals who shone last season—such as Mo Salah, Ibrahima Konaté, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley—are now below their best. Actually, the majority of the squad is. And they all have one profound, recent experience: the passing of their colleague and friend, Diogo Jota.

The Invisible Effect: Loss on the Pitch

It has been just more than three short months since the tragic passing of their friend. Although the outside world moves on rapidly, diverting attention to global events, Liverpool's players carry on going to work day after day in the absence of their mate.

This is impossible to know how each player and staff member is dealing from one day to the next. There is a great deal of projection. Perhaps Salah failed to defend in a particular match because he lacked energy. Or perhaps his form is down a small percentage points due to the fact he misses his pal.

The London club's head coach, Enzo Maresca, commented eloquently before a fixture, making a comparison to his personal situation of the loss of a teammate, Antonio Puerta, while at Sevilla. "How they are performing this campaign is fantastic," he said of Liverpool. "Especially after the tragedy. I went through exactly the same thing when I was a player 20 years ago."

"It is difficult for the players, it's not easy for the organization, it's not easy for the coach when you come to the training complex and you see daily that spot empty. So you have to be incredibly resilient. And this is the reason why for me they are performing not well, but exceptionally well. Because they are attempting to handle a situation that is not easy."

Just as summarized well on a popular supporter's show, the memory triggers are ongoing. They hear his song in the 20th minute, they notice his empty peg in the changing room. Even during games, a pass might be played and the realization arises: 'Ah, Jota would have reached that.' If Salah showed emotion in front of the Kop a few games ago, it signals that everything is far from normal.

The Limits of Football Analysis and Personal Grief

After covering football for two decades, one realizes there is a fundamental lack of depth in most punditry. We genuinely cannot know how an player is coping at any given moment and how that affects their play. Jota's passing is one of the clearest illustrations. We are aware a tragic event occurred, and we comprehend the nature of grief. Beyond that lies an intangible level of impact on different people at the organization. It is very possible that a few of the players personally don't fully understand its influence from one moment to the next.

How the media reports on this and how supporters analyze performances is obviously far from the most important thing. On a practical basis, mentioning Jota's passing is difficult to do in a brief segment before moving on to tactical issues. Outside of this specific event and beyond Liverpool, it would seem bizarre to qualify each criticism of a player with an acknowledgment that we are largely ignorant about their private circumstances—be it their family situation, personal struggles, or marital problems.

A former professional player, Nedum Onuoha, lately talked on radio about how his mother's death halfway through his career impacted his love for the game. "I didn't enjoy football as much," he said. "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 months.

The Final Point

So, whatever Liverpool accomplish this season—be it success or if it's nothing—even if we omit reference to it whenever we discuss their matches, even if it isn't the cause for their eventual result, we should not forget that a few weeks ago they lost not just a exceptional footballer, but, crucially, they lost a friend.